Frozen VI: The Legend of the Snow Queen
by Batman1809
Summary: The final chapter in my Frozen saga. Arendelle learns of Elsa's role as the "Snow Queen", foretold in the Troll Prophecy to rid a foreign land of an ancient threat. Elsa and Anna face many threats and discoveries ahead, as they are forced into the ancient homeland of trolls, elves, and dragons. Can Elsa and her friends save all that is good? Cover art by Comickergirl
1. Chapter 1

**Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally here!**

 **The last installment of my Frozen series, the story I have been building up since Frozen IV (one might consider this a separate trilogy then my first one, given that it is more tied together). I can't believe this is it. This will defiantly be the last one, and I am going to miss writing this. With everything I plan on doing here, it makes me wish I could have spread out this same style to my previous stories. I've learned a lot about writing on this site since my first story, so I believe this to be my strongest story yet, and certainly the longest, being split into two parts and all.**

 **Prepare for laughs, cries, deaths (yeas, the "D" word), action, and world-building!**

 **And so, without further ado...**

 **Frozen VI:**

 **The Legend of the Snow Queen**

 **Part I:**

 **Northbound**

* * *

Chapter 1: 

Skies are a Changing  


* * *

The mountains, standing several hundred miles north of the northern most borders of any kingdom of man, were steep, jagged, and treacherous. The harsh land at their feet was just as intolerable: a rocky, uneven land with no water or shelter, occupied only by the tough, sprawling pines that were lucky to find root in the brutal soil. Storms frequented this area often, making it that much more intolerable. These horrid conditions have made this land impenetrable for travel, let alone settling, and it stretched on for many miles in width, while lengthwise it was almost a thousand miles. It was these conditions that made this area a barrier, a natural wall, separating two very different worlds.

The clouds were thick and grey and hung low over the horrid plains. A shape could bee seen flying through them; a large, winged form. Briefly flying low below the clouds, a great red dragon could be seen, a lone figure on its back just where the neck meets the rest of the body. The dragon flew on, occasionally flapping its bat-like wings to keep itself airborne. He glided through the sky, rapidly approaching the mountain range. Before reaching the rock face, he flapped harder, raising it up on an incline, lifting himself over the mountains. After clearing the higher peaks, it flew onward, flying over the vast steep terrain at the top of the range. No single mountain stood apart; all of them were connected, creating a sort of plateau of smaller, similar sized peaks. It flew on for miles and miles, crossing a vast, open glacial field, where a long glacier slowly pushed through the range, carving out an ever increasing canyon over the last thousand years. The occasional grinding of the massive, moving mass of ice could be heard, echoing through the mountain range and up into the surrounding air.

The beast, carrying his passenger, glided along the length of the glacier until it reached it's endpoint; a steep, near vertical drop in elevation; a continuous cliff leading down to more comfortable altitudes. Below them now was a vast, open and hilly grassland, which stretched out across until it met a wide canal of sea water, then continued on the other side. The glacier itself melted into running water at this point, sending water over the cliff face in a series of waterfalls. The water met at the bottom, forming a series of streams and wetlands until it converged into two clear rivers, both ending shortly after a few miles once it met the canal.

The dragon flew over the cliff face and dove down a few hundred feet, but it didn't go all the way down. Instead it glided up into a horizontal flight pattern, flying parallel to a cliff face. Finally, now at the end of its over thousand mile journey, it slowed its descent, approaching a wide cave in the cliff face about halfway between the top and bottom of the cliff. The ground of the cave extended beyond the tall ceiling, providing a landing platform for the beast. It flapped few times, then landed.

It's passenger, Klydrun, was quick to jump off, his scabbard-less sword in hand, his falcon friend on his shoulder.

"The Master is eager to see you" said the Dragon, its voice reverberating from its chest. "I go now to oversee his servants' progress" it said begrudgingly as it took of yet again.

Klydrun stared back into the dark cave, his falcon on his shoulder. Feeling his sword in hand, he walked into it. The light faded almost immediately upon entering, though it was not a impediment to him; in fact, it was comforting to him. He hated light, preferring to work hidden in the shadows, away from sight and noise of the living world around him. He walked on for a while, the massive hall narrowing, splitting up into separate caverns and tunnels as he walked on. He knew these halls well, walking down the tunnels he knew led to the Master's cavern.

Now he came to a large wooden door, two statues of hideous, dragon-like beasts seemingly guarding the entrance. Klydrun huffed; he was less then presentable, cuffs still on his hands and feet, only a raggedy shirt and pants covering him, and his sword naked outside its scabbard; all reminders of his humiliating failure in Arendelle. His prey escaped, he himself imprisoned, needing outside help to escape. Never before had he faced such humiliation in the human world.

The doors suddenly opened on their own before he could mentally prepare himself though. Not hesitating, he entered.

Torches aligned along the walls lit the room. A few columns lined what appeared to be a cave version of a throne room. The cave was stuffy, musty, and hot. How anyone could live here was beyond that of most people, but this didn't bother the elf. He walked on down the quiet hall. To his side, he could see trolls moving about, cleaning the floor and tending some of fire crystals held up on pedestals here and there. The trolls themselves were quiet, keeping to themselves, a orange tint in their eyes. One of the trolls standing in the corner, the moderator of the others, looked relaxed, eyeing the approaching elf.

Finally, Klydrun stood before the darkened throne. To the casual observer, only the faint outlines of both the stone chair and the person sitting in it could be seen, his face and shape obscured by darkness. Immediately, Klydrun bowed, placing his sword at his side on the ground.

"Master" he said. "I have come."

At first, silence. Then a surprisingly charismatic voice rang out. "Ah, my prized student" said the deep, but not too frightening voice. "What on earth happened to you?" He took particular notice of Klydrun's naked sword.

Klydrun was hesitant to answer, keeping his head low. "I, ran into trouble in Arendelle" he answered with a sour tone.

The Master remained silent for a moment. "Arendelle?" he said, not entirely surprised. "The home of the Snow Queen? A surprising choice of destination for a man like yourself, no?"

"I had no choice; my prey hid there."

"Mhmm, I take it this particular quarry got away?" Klydrun nodded, his eyebrows furrowed in rage. "I take it _she_ had something to do with it?"

Klydrun now looked up. "It is she who brought me to my knees, Master" he said, an angered edge in his voice.

Through the darkness, the Master's arm, enwrapped in ragged clothing of some sort, extended up and out, then made a rising motion with his hand, signaling Klydrun to rise. Klydrun did so almost immediately, rising from his bowing form, standing fully erect now. "You have slain many such gifted individuals in your time. Tell me, what made her so special?" the Master asked much like a teacher asking his student for the answer which he himself already knew.

Klydrun, not found of reliving the humiliating memory, spoke. he spoke not in defeat or humility before his Master, but rather in a rough, angered tone. "She was, quick. Her magic, it was like she didn't have to give it any thought. It was like it worked for her, like it knew my next move... I, didn't have a chance" he begrudgingly admitted.

"Yes... yes" said the Master. He then waved his hand. A small glass orb, previously resting on the tip of his right armrest of his stone chair, floated in the air and moved towards Klydrun, glowing blue. As it floated in front of him, he could see Elsa, standing in attendance at some unknown event, a look of content and calm on her face. "Indeed she has shown to be quiet the adversary; beautiful, and powerful... Dangerous, and _cold_ " he said once again with no surprise in his voice. "A powerful anomaly, far removed from any other such gifted humans. You are right your observation that her power acts on its own accord at times, almost like a separate entity."

Klydrun stared at the image, imagining all sorts of horrible injuries to bestow upon her. "So what do we do about her?"

"Do about it?" asked the Master. "Don't tell me you still have faith in that prophecy..." The master leaned forward, though still unseen in the darkness. "You are truly my most talented student Klydrun; strong, quick, ruthless. It is this reason I give you the freedom you desire. But you are very superstitious my friend." At that, the crystal before Klydrun flickered with images of past events, beginning with a sinking Arendellian ship, then on to the death of Jon Lindstrom, his wife and son by his lifeless body.

"Have you forgotten the many measures I have taken to cheat fate?" More images came to the globe as he continued to speak; images of Hans using Elsa to free Gregor, and again poisoning her with the dark mirror.

"It is this reason that prophecies are never written in stone my friend. I like to think of them as warnings; warnings for which precautions can be taken." Again more images came to, with Lars manipulating Elsa's father and later his use of Princess Kyra to overthrow her brother's kingdom.

"The actions I have put into play have altered the predictions; manipulating events, changing upbringings and outcomes, all resulting in where we are now."

"I already know all this" said Klydrun annoyed, speaking with that seemingly permanent cross tone in his harsh voice, unfazed by the images he had witnessed. Then the globe ceased glowing, returning to its clear form and floated back to the Master's right armrest. "But what progress can be seen by these actions? Where _are_ we now?"

At this, the globe on the Master's left armrest rose and floated down, glowing green. In this globe, images of destruction and chaos could be seen. Images of giant trolls tearing apart homes, dragons laying waste to series. Throughout the world, men, women, and children, all involved in stealing, vandalizing, destruction and arson. It was a world gone mad; no order, no peace, no sanctuary, just chaos. Then on the last passing image, the Arendelle castle lay in ruins, and a beaten, broken Elsa, dead at it's base. Suddenly, the globe dimmed, then floated back it its proper place at the Master's left.

"We are now at the point of no return my friend. When I am done, all I have been preparing for, for all my life, will now come to pass. Believe me when I say this woman bears no threat to my plans," he said as the images in the orb faded, returning to it's glowing green aurora. "This world, and hers, will soon fall into chaos; the _natural_ order."

Klydrun nodded, though not convinced. "And what of the Northern Alliance?"

"The Alliance will pose no threat to us. They have merely a decade of planning on their side since the prophecy was first foretold; I have had over a millennia. They, along with the world, created in the image of goodness and light, will burn!"

* * *

 **(10 months later)**

It was four years now. For four years, Lars Brawnstone has rotted in his cell, watching the days go by endlessly as he lived out his life sentence. His brown facial hair now reached the bottom of his neck, tangled and dirty from lack of both grooming and bathing. His clothes, the very same he wore when thrown in here, were now worn and ragged, and reeked of a foul odor. He was allowed no change of clothes, no time outside the cell just to stretch his legs, not even books to read; only the occasional companion of the bored guard or the temporary inmate. King Gideon saw to it that this man, the man who held his sister captive, the man who experimented with her in order to make her a weapon, would suffer what he made her suffer for sixteen years, the only difference being that his mind was free, while hers wasn't.

He spent much of his time sitting in the middle of his cell, trying to find peace of mind by meditation in a technique he learned from the Orient. He remained like this for hours at a time, lost in the escape of his own mind.

On this night, however, something broke his concentration. A flicker of light shone through his bared window and onto the floor of his stone cell. It must have been one in the morning by his guess, far past the time most were asleep, minus the nightshift of guards. Desperate for something different from his mundane existence, he darted to the window.

Despite being imprisoned in this small cell for almost half a decade, . He got to the barred window, gripping the iron bars as he shoved his face through the bar, looking outside. There was nothing on the ground, but looking up was another matter entirely.

The sky was awake with the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. He knew much about the lights, their true origin and their source, but he never thought to appreciate the delicate beauty until now, now that he had little in regards to comforts. It was finding splendor like this that made him feel soft. Oh the things he would do to get out of that cell.

But then something knocked him from his thoughts. Their was an inconsistency in the lights above. The normal flickering would occasionally cease, seemingly shooting south in sudden, erratic bursts, as if reaching to the south. Then, a sudden, single golden wave shot from north to south, like the ripples of a rock thrown in a river of color. He then saw something else. It was faint, but clearly visible to those looking hard enough: What appeared to be silent lighting, numerous in fractals and consistent as pouring water, shot out, again from north to south.

"About time" said Lars to himself as he looked up at the lights, which have now returned to normal, himself probably the only one who took notice, something he would keep to himself. He backed away from the window, then looked to his wall. The words he wrote in the stone when he first arrived still remained, the words of the Troll Prophecy:

 _"In the homeland of the Northern Folk,_

 _A Vile One will rise, a relic of the ancient times._

 _With the union of the Lights he will strike,_

 _seeking to wipe the good and the innocent from all kind._

 _But one will rise in a time of forgotten magic,_

 _a Queen, born with the power the Winter element._

 _A gift from the Almighty, passed through the Aurora,_

 _dangerous and cold, but beautiful, kind, and benevolent._

 _When the Lights meet before her twenty-ninth year,_

 _she will vanquish the Vile One and his allies._

 _Those she holds dear should however be warned,_

 _for the price of her love and friendship is high."_

Lars then nodded slightly, smiling at the words he carved into the wall. "Soon" he said, "Soon you will _have_ come to me, Elsa of Arendelle."

* * *

 **The prophecy had changed slightly since I first wrote it back in Frozen IV, so if it looks different to you, that's because it has.**

 **I promise I will get these chapters out as fast as I can, and the only thing stopping me from completing this would be the apocalypse... that or I end up getting eaten by some wild animal... neither of which I plan on happening soon.**

 **Also, the Wesley poll is still up on my profile page. You will have up until about chapter 7 (give or take) until that decision becomes relevant, so make your vote by then.**

 **Now then, on to the next chapter!**

 **-Batman**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The Summer Solstice 

* * *

**(10 months since the escape of Klydrun)**

Summer as usual was the best time to come to the Norwegian nation of Arendelle. During this brief season, Arendelle enjoyed some of the longest summer days of any kingdom, given its longitude. On the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, however, was another day of grand importance; it was Princess Anna's Birthday.

As is tradition, Elsa would take Anna on a long scavenger hunt of sorts throughout the kingdom, following an unreasonably long red string and uncovering all sorts of gifts. Based on an old family tradition Elsa brought back on Anna's eighteenth birthday. It had grown into something of a biannual bonding time for the sisters; the other time being Elsa's birthday.

Back at the castle, as is also tradition, Kirstoff would lead the party's setup, though in recent years he had found more help, mostly from his over enthusiastic son.

"Hey Dad" asked the now four year old Matthew. They were in the courtyard, setting up tables and banners and such. Kristoff was just placing the giant ice cream cake on one of the tables when his son appeared out of nowhere, startling him into almost dropping the cake. He wobbled a bit, but caught his footing just in time.

"Whoa!" he shouted in fright, just as he avoided near disaster. "Careful with the cake son" he said.

"Yeah, you're father's a klutz" said Jase, walking in.

"Ha ha, yeah" said Kristoff sarcastically as he finally got the cake safely down. "OK, what is it Matty?"

"Can I have some c-cake now?" he asked. In the last few months, Matthew had greatly improved with his speech, his stuttering decreasing significantly, though the occasional fit would come back every now and then. Much to his parent's relief, though, he has been showing great curiosity and intelligence for a child his age. He was very smart, but he was developing more of that mischievous and fun loving attitude of his mother as well.

"Son, what did I say? Not till after dinner, and not till mommy cuts the cake, OK?"

"But why can O-Olaf have some and I-I can't?"

Kristoff shot around, seeing Olaf quickly showing a piece of cake in his mouth. "Olaf! Really?" Kristoff shouted, waving his hands in the air.

"I can't help it! I have no sense of self control!" Olaf defended, hunching over in shame.

"You're supposed to be setting a sample for the next generation, not being them!"

"I can't help it! I'm only seven years old, and I was designed by five year olds! I'm like Pinocchio, only I'm made of snow, and I have a reindeer instead of a cricket, and I don't know what temptations are."

Kristoff smiled, smacking his head. Despite being real, Olaf was in fact built with the mentality of a five year old, and he didn't exactly age like a human. "Never mind, just be you Olaf. And stop eating cake, OK?"

"OK." He was about to take it out of his mouth...

"But don't put it back this time!"

"OK OK! Sheez!" said Olaf as he swallowed. He then walked off, pondering how he was able to swallow without an esophagus, or a stomach...

"Alright, well" said Jase, clapping his hands." I just got the last of the chairs in from storage. Is everything ready?" he asked eyeing the poorly drawn "Happy Birthday" Banner, though he figured Kristoff wrote it like that on purpose, just for that child-like touch.

"Yep. Now all we have to do is kick back..." Kristoff pulled out a chair, then sat down, "and wait for them to get back."

* * *

The longest day was almost over, and Anna already had a whole armful of various gifts resulting from the red string scavenger hunt; and yet, there was still one more to go.

"Hurry Anna!" Elsa said enthusiastically. "We're almost done!" Like every year, Elsa would pull Anna along, showing her what was next on the list, though this year she was more anxious than usual.

"Easy!" said Anna, carrying a submarine sandwich (that was a consistent gift that was mandatory), a plush Gunnolf, a fancy yet functional hat, a hand sewn sweater, roses, a necklace, and a few other small trinkets, each an anonymous gift from a friend or family member. Though what Anna enjoyed the most was spending time with her sister, something she was finding harder to do as Matthew got older and Elsa grew closer to Jase.

Now, near the end of a perfect day, ending in the boatyard on the deck of one of the ships, Elsa couldn't wait for Anna to make it to the last gift.

"Come on come on!" said Elsa, much in the same way Anna normally would.

"I'm coming I'm coming!" said Anna, clutching on to her gifts. She walked up the gang plank after her bouncing sister, following the string up to the ship's steering wheel. Then, Anna gasped, Elsa beaming with a smile, anticipating a response.

There, sitting just below the wheel, were two small dolls; antiques from their long lost childhood, now here again. One of the rag dolls had white hair, a small crown, and a blue dress, while the other had a similar crown, though with red hair and a green dress; miniature versions of the two princesses. Anna was speechless as she walked up to the long lost toys, dropping everything she had. She covered her mouth, then bent down and picked them up.

Elsa, worrying, frowned, afraid she unearthed some painful memory in her sister. "Anna?"

Anna, now holding the dolls close to her heart, turned and face Elsa, a look of shock and awe on her face. "How, where... I thought we lost them?"

Slightly relieved, Elsa walked over slowly. "I thought so to, but I was reorganizing my one of the waiting rooms, when Kai pushed a sofa out of the way and, there they were. They were so dirty, I spent hours trying to get most of the dirt stains out. I had to recruit Gera to help me fix them up."

Anna looked back at them. "Well, I mean, I... _we"_ Anna said quickly, "we lost them so long ago, like... I don't know, decades?" she said, trying to sound happy; like there wasn't some sort of emotion triggered by these long lost relics. But Elsa saw the single tear on her right eye, a tear Anna tried to wipe away inconspicuously.

"Anna? What's wrong?" Elsa asked.

"What? Oh, I'm fine! I love them!" Anna responded with a weak attempt to hide the myriad of emotions that had been evoked. Then she sniffled again.

"You're crying."

"No I'm not! I don't know what you're talking about!" She then felt another tear run down her cheek. "Oh this? Oh, this is just, uh... my, blood water content is to high?" Elsa raised her eyebrow in disbelief while Anna put on a fake grin. Finally, she relented, and frowned, another sniffle escaping her nose. "I'm sorry" Anna admitted, "I like them, really."

"But?" Elsa asked, dreading the answer.

Anna looked to her side. "I, when I was young, back when, you know... Well, when I lost them, I thought, well, that was it." Anna was quiet for a few moments. "I thought you were never going to change."

At this, Elsa looked down, shame upon her face; shame that Anna thought she had seen the last of.

"But, but it's different now!" Anna was quick to rebuttal. "Please, don't be sad! I love them!" she said, holding the dolls closer. "It's just some stupid memory."

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, yeah just a memory."

"Oh Elsa, I'm so sorry. You were so excited to show me these and I ruined it."

"No" Elsa said, a weak smile on her face. "No, this is a good thing actually." Anna was confused now. "I mean, look at us now! We're happy, we're together and close, so close. And you're married to a wonderful man, and I have a sweet little nephew. And, well, I'm still working on that but, well, thirteen years is a lot to cover, right?"

Anna smiled. "You're right. I'm sorry, I just, got caught up in the moment I guess."

"You don't have to be sorry on your birthday you silly goose!" Elsa said as she rubbed Anna's head playfully. "Let's just forget it, alright?"

"Done" said Anna. Still holding the old dolls close, she went and began picking up the rest of her gifts, Elsa aiding her in the process.

"Hey, Anna?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah?"

Elsa then stood up straight holding Anna's plush toy. "I, uh, have I made it up? Those thirteen years?"

"What? What kind of question is that?"

"Nothing. I mean, not nothing. It's just, we haven't really covered this subject in a while, and while the subject's up... Never mind, it was a stupid question."

"Elsa, it's not a stupid question. You've already made up for it."

"Really?"

"Elsa, we're sisters. There is no 'making up' things. We just have each others backs, and when we make mistakes, we forgive and forget. Yeah, I may _un-_ forget every now and then..."

Elsa laughed at this.

"But I forgave you from day one. You don't have to make up anything, and that's the truth."

Elsa, relieved, put her arm around Anna. "Thanks Anna, you're the best."

"Of course I am! Now let's get going, before Olaf eats that cake again!"

* * *

The rest of Anna's birthday ceremony went by as expected, and Anna was now twenty five, with over seven years since the winter that brought her and her sister back together. After an afternoon of cake, sandwiches, and dance, evening eventually turned into night, and after all that fun, most everyone was ready for sleep.

Being her birthday, Kristoff volunteered to give Matthew a bath and tuck him into bed, giving Anna plenty of time for a relaxing bath, spending nearly an hour soaking in the warm water and relieving bubbles. When she was finally done, she got dressed up in her green nightgown, grabbed her brush and towel, and walked up back to her family room. Along the way, she passed Jase, who was passing her by on his usual nighttime check of the castle. He was scratching the back of his head, something Anna noticed was a typical sign of worry amongst men.

"G'night" Anna said as she passed. Jase nodded in response, his mind on something else. Suddenly, upon seeing her, he stopped, looking back twice.

"Oh, Anna, I've been meaning to talk to you actually" he said suddenly.

"Oh?" said Anna, coming to a stop and turning to him. "Alright, what's on your mind?"

"Well, um" he said, fumbling with his words. "Gah, how do I say this?"

"How about just saying it?" Anna asked.

"Right. Well, the thing is... you're a good judge of character, right?"

Anna had a sudden flashback, one of a fateful summer night, songs about open doors, talking wedding cakes after the first date, then being left to die in a room by some sicko jerk who she wish she could lock in a cell and punch him on a moments whim but couldn't because he was currently pushing up daisies...

"I like to think that, yes" she answered.

"Right. OK, so, tell me, what do you think about me?"

"About you?" she asked, confused.

"Like, do you trust me? Around your sister."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Well, you've been courting her for almost a year now... and you aren't in an unmarked box headed for South America, so, yeah, I would think so."

Jase sighed. "I'm asking stupid questions, aren't I?"

"Perhaps if you were to ask me outright what it is you want to ask me?"

"Right right right" he said, raising his hands halfway up, then taking a breath. "Let me just say it. I... might be... and this is not official or anything... wanting to ask" he takes a deep breath, Anna just standing there patiently with her arms crossed over her things. "...for her hand in marriage."

Anna's eyes shot open wide.

"You know, again" Jase added. "And, I want to ask you for your blessing."

Anna just stared at Jase, shocked. "Oh, oh my gosh... for real? Like, for _real_ real?"

Jase nodded shyly. "I mean it's not _now_. I'm probably going to wait a little while before I officially ask her."

Anna nodded. "Wow, OK... you're not afraid she's going to go all 'runaway bride'? Because if you are you shouldn't be."

Jase smiled. "Don't worry Anna, that part I already talked to her about. She's OK with the idea now."

"Oh that's good. So... wait what? You _talked_ about it?"

"Well yeah. I kind of brought it up a few weeks back, and she told me she would be OK with..."

"What?!" Anna shouted, outraged; eyes going wide as if she heard the most stupid thing in the whole world. "You mean she already knows you're going to propose?!"

Jase flinched back, not quite sure of what he did wrong, and even more afraid to ask. "Uh, yes?"

Anna began fuming, waving her hands exasperatingly. "You can't tell a woman you're going to propose before you actually do you knucklehead! It's supposed to be a surprise! Everyone knows that!"

"OK, but what if she's not ready yet? I mean, she's not that big of fan of surprise decision making..."

"That's what the whole _dating_ thing is for!" she said, waving her hands from one place to the other, trying to explain a concept. "After you spent _alot_ of time, more than one day with a person, and you realize you both love each other, _then_ you ask her in a romantic setting as a surprise!"

Jase, still leaning back slightly, dared to rebuttal. "OK, well, I tried that once, and look where that got me."

"Well, that's your own fault for trying to rush it!"

"I wasn't rushing anything! If I recall, Kristoff asked you after knowing you for, what a year?"

"It was 18 months to be exact, and he asked for Elsa's blessing first. By the way, I don't recall you asking for _my_ blessing the first time around."

"I was going to!"

"Oh? Well... that makes it a little bit better, _but_ my sister still deserves a romantic, _surprise_ proposal. _Every_ woman deserves that from their future husband!"

Jase sighed a little. Trying to debate with Anna on the matter of the heart was a losing battle and he knew it; it didn't matter if some of her ideas were a little out there, she _had_ to be right. To date, only Elsa ever wins such battles. Sucking in his pride, he nodded. "Alright, alright you're right. I shouldn't have talked to her first. She does deserve the best."

Anna nodded once firmly, content that he had finally seen reason in her own right. "Well, that you are right on."

"I mean, she's the most wonderful person I know after all."

"The best."

Silence

"So, do I have your blessing?"

Anna, still glaring exasperatingly at him, closed her eyes, then took a breath. "Considering you are a klutz when it comes to matters of the heart, I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of my sister than you... Of course you have it."

Jase smiled in a half laugh. "Really?"

"Of course 'really' you big lug!" Anna said as she jumped forward and hugged Jase, forgetting her previous beef with him. "It'll be nice having a big brother I can prank and stuff." Jase, caught off guard by Anna's tight grip, gently hugged her back. "Oh!" she said, jumping away, "and Mathew will officially have an uncle now! Yay!"

"Well, looking forward to not being an only child myself" Jase said. "Thank..."

"Ooh! Wait till I tell Gerda!"

"Um, Anna, could you not tell anyone just yet? Please?"

"What? Not tell anyone? Have you met me?"

"It's just, I want to make this official before telling the whole world, and I think there are formalities..."

"Oh, sure... just let me tell Kristoff, since he's my husband, and at the alter the priest said something about being one flesh, and to not tell my own flesh something woud be weird..."

"Well, sure..."

"Thank you!" said Anna before rushing off in the blink of an eye, a gush of wind following her wake. Just as quickly, she rushed back, gave Jase one more hug. "Don't take too long! I can't hold secrets well!"

"I'll try" he said honestly. She then darted off again to tell Kristoff, leaving Jase alone.

"Well, that went better than expected" he said before walking off. Needless to say, he was happy. Sure, he figured Anna's answer all along, but it marked the point of no return now. And though he had already talked about this with Elsa, he still felt just as anxious as if she didn't know.

* * *

 **This chapter ended up being too long, so I had to split it, meaning the next chapter is almost done already. Expect the next chapter soon!**

 **The Wes poll is still up. So far, most of you want me to reveal Wes's backstory in his spinoff series, rather than in this story, which is second in the polls, and only one person doesn't want to see his backstory at all.**

 **If you notice, Comickergirl's art of Klydrun is up as the story picture. Not really an accurate art, just a placeholder until I can find a more appropriate art until I can come up with one.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **-Batman**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Pondering the Past

* * *

It was very early the next morning after Jase talked to Anna, and Jase found himself waking up from a nightmare. Unable to return to sleep, he got up to roam the castle courtyard in hopes of walking it off. With Anna's blessing, there was one less thing on his mind, but that didn't remove one of the larger things weighing him down as of late.

It was now almost a year since Klydrun made his escape, and almost a year since his world was turned upside down. He kept playing the events over and over in his head, both of the night the dragon arrived, and the night his father died. He remembered how Klydrun described his father's last moments, pointing out details even Jase himself never retold, specifically as his last meal, a detail he never bothered to recall until now.

He berated himself for not being suspicious then. His father falls over after eating a meal, and he never bothered to check if it was poisoned. Though at the time, poison was reserved for the assassination of kings and lords, not lowly stewards to a rundown, noname city. And that left another mystery: Why? His father held no money, no armies or standings, only having led a small impoverished community all his life. He never changed anything about it that would inconvenience anyone enough to kill. He killed on a few occasions, but always in self defense, but not in several decades at the time of his death. He never cheated, and no one ever accused him thereof. He had no enemies, only friends. Jon's funeral emptied the town; _Everyone_ missed him. Many imagined that if Jon were alive, his leadership would have held Kalamar better through that winter, possibly up until Hans and his thugs showed up and freed Gregor.

Who would want him dead? And who would hire a professional assassin to do so? It was these two questions that led him to seek out everything he could about Klydrun. He asked anyone who had the slightest contact with him: families of his victims, former clients in prisons, bounty hunters, anyone at all who had the slightest contact. But it was no use. He always left little evidence of his presence, not even a name. The only identifying mark his clients knew him by was by an odd scar on his right palm in the shape of a bear. Considering no one knew he was not human only confirmed the elf's skill of concealment.

They only evidence he had was the elf himself, and he had escaped, destroying part of the castle in the process.

He remembered that night well...

 _The dragon had just made its escape with Klydrun, disappearing into the night sky. All around the castle, guards and servants ran about, trying to discern the source of the fire and the crashing and the roars._ Everyone _was up, including half the city._

 _Down in the dungeons, Jase had fallen unconscious after falling back, only Kristoff witnessing the dragon escaping. It wasn't until Kristoff started pulling him up did he finally awake._

 _"Jase? Jase!" he called, trying to shake him awake. Jase opened his eyes slowly. It was hard for him to stay awake, and his head was throbbing._

 _"Kristoff?" he said, not making eye contact._

 _Kristoff immediately pushed back the thick hair from his face, revealing a huge bump on his head. "Awe geez. OK Jase, listen to me, you have a concussion._ Don't move! _I need to go check on Pabbie, alright?"_

 _Jase nodded briefly. "Klydrun?" he asked._

 _"He's gone Jase, there's nothing you can do. Don't move!" Kristoff ordered before running out what was left of the cell, seeing the conscious guards waking up, immediately assisting the wounded. Marshmallow, covered in holes, tried to move, only for pieces of him to fall of with each try. He grumbled in angry annoyance._

 _Knowing that Elsa could fix him easy, he called out "Grand Pabbie! Where are you?"_

 _He heard some mumbles in response, coming from a pile of rock to his left. He immediately ran over and started digging through the rock._

 _Halfway through the rock, Jase decided he was fine, and forced himself up, leaning against the stone wall for support. Everything was blurry now, but he could make out the noises he was hearing. Time seemed to turn slow, everything in slow motion. He looked over and saw Kristoff tear through the stone, finally finding both Pabbie and a badly damaged Gunnolf under the rubble._

 _"Pabbie! Are you alright?" he asked, pulling him out._

 _"I'm fine son" said the old troll as he brushed off dirt and dust from himself. "My skin is literally rock after all. Our canine friend however will need assistance."_

 _Trying to claw his way out of the rubble, Gunnolf, missing part of his snowy face, and the rest of his body barely hanging on, tried his best to claw his way out, only to fall over. He looked like he was cut in half lengthwise, though not in a clean cut._

 _"Gunnolf!" Kristoff said in shock, reaching in to pull the now much lighter wolf out halfway. "What happened?"_

 _"He tried to defend me and stop them from escaping" said Pabbie. "But I'm afraid our brave friend had met his match."_

 _Kristoff pulled him out a little more, then rested him on the pile of rubble. "Alright... Elsa should be here soon. You'll be just fine" he told the wolf, patting him on the head._

 _Gunnolf whimpered in response, laying his big head down on the rock._

 _Soon, more guards came, completely baffled at the site. Right behind them, Elsa, still in her nightgown, came forward. Her eyes quickly darted across the room, surveying the damage in the darkness, only the moon shining through the massive hole in the wall and a few surviving torches lighting the room. She saw the poor Marshmallow struggle to move his now shapeless form, only his head intact._

 _"Marshmallow?!" Elsa gasped. Without hesitation, Elsa whipped her hand up, rearranging his body back in order with her magic. Marshmallow, now fully restored, stood up, checking his legs to make sure they were intact. She then heard a whimper, and looked down the hall to see Gunnolf's damaged form. Elsa gasped at the sight of her torn up wolf, and immediately shot forth a wind of magic, reforming his right side and reshaping his face. Within moments, the near dead wolf was now good as new, pulling himself out of the rubble and shaking the dirt from his body._

 _It was then that she saw Jase sitting down, a big black and blue bump on his head. Elsa immediately went over and knelt down at his side._

 _"Jase! Are you alright?" she shrieked._

 _"I'm, fine" he got out, wanting nothing more than to see only one of her._

 _"What happened?" she immediately asked Kristoff. Where is Klydrun?"_

It was a few days before Jase has cleared to leave bed after his concussion. Merriam was sure it was fractured, but given his rapid recovery, it must have been so only slightly. There were no fatalities with the other guards, though some had lost their memory of the incident. The dungeons were in a state of disarray, but nothing that couldn't be repaired, giving the incarcerated Lionel his first job in applying iron walls to the dungeons.

As for Klydrun and his reptilian accomplice, neither have been seen since. Pabbie later revealed that the ancient race of dragons was thought to have been extinct for thousands of years, well before his time; a fact was clearly not the case anymore. Elsa sent word to every corner of the continent to keep an eye out for the two mythological creatures, with nothing to show for it. To this day, Jase was no closer to finding the mysterious assassin and his steed than the day of their escape. Since that day, he has lamented about whether the elf's account of his father was true or not, and his gut was telling him the former.

"Jase?"

Jase nearly jumped out of his skin when Elsa appeared out of the darkness behind in her blue nightgown, covering herself in a night coat. "Elsa? what are you doing here?"

"I was looking out my balcony and I saw this lonely little figure walking around down here. I saw it was you, so I came down."

Jase nodded. "Oh."

"I suppose I should mention that I've seen you down here on numerous occasions."

"Oh."

Elsa adjusted her coat, looking into Jase's conflicted eyes. "Jase? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really" he lied.

"Jase?" she asked, raising her eyebrow sternly.

Jase looked away. "I have not stopped thinking about that night, the night _he_ escaped."

Elsa silently mouthed 'oh.' "Klydrun."

Jase nodded.

"Jase, we've tried for months now. You remember how hard he was to find before..."

"I know I know. But it's tearing me up inside!" he said more angrily than he intended. Elsa flinched but did not stand back, understanding his pain. "I spent all this time thinking my father died a natural death; that he left in peace. But he didn't, Elsa. He was murdered, and I fell for it."

"Hey" Elsa said sternly. "You felt what was only natural. There was no way you could have known."

Jase nodded hesitantly. They had had this discussion before, and it was wearing thin. "I know Elsa" he said, then pointed to hid head. " _Logically_ , I know there was nothing I could have done differently, but here" he pointed to his heart "here I keep feeling like I failed him, that Kalamar would have been in a better state if he had lived, and Hans would have never have gotten to you."

Elsa remained silent as he continued to let it out. "I keep seeing it in my dreams" he continued. "Dad is always there on the floor, dead, and Klydrun is just outside the window, smiling that same way he did months ago. And I don't know who hired him to do it, or why." Jase then sighed, shrugging his shoulders in exhaustion and bowing his head, having said all he felt like saying. Elsa was met with a period of silence before he spoke again. "Anyway... I'm sorry I kept you up."

Elsa shook her head, a light smile on her face. "Hey, do you know how often I woke Anna up with my problems? Back just after the coronation? And she me?" She then walked up to him, touching him on the shoulder. He looked up to meet her stare. "Listen to me. You _will_ find him, and you _will_ get your answers, I promise."

Jase looked on with doubt and uncertainty in his eyes. "How do you know that?"

Elsa smiled. "Because as your queen, I command you to do it, and you have never failed me yet." She then leaned in and kissed him, himself following suit. When they were done, they both looked down, still holding each other. "Now, can you escort me to my room before we start the day?"

Jase shrugged, his mood lightening. "Yeah, of course" he said.

Elsa blushed as he held her hand in his arms and led her to the castle doors. Slowly, his mood improved. "By the way, I finally talked to Anna."

"About?"

"Her blessing."

"You did?!" she said excitingly. "What did she say?"

"Well, first she gave me a stern talking to about talking to you about it before actually proposing."

"Oh, well that's Anna" Elsa laughed. "When it comes to romance, it has to be by the book with her... but she was OK with it, right?"

"In her own words 'It'll be nice having a big brother I can prank and stuff."

Elsa laughed. "I figured she wouldn't have any objections."

"Hey Els, tell me the truth, would you have preferred a surprise proposal, rather than me bringing it up beforehand?"

Elsa look at Jase. "Oh Jase, don't worry about that. I like it better this way anyway. It's more gradual, and not so, well, rushed. I mean, sure, most women would prefer a more romantic surprise proposal. But you know me; I'm not much of the romantic anyway.

"You got that right" he said before kissing her on the cheek. "Hey, thanks for coming down."

Elsa smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "No problem, my knight."

* * *

A week passed in Arendelle, and out in the Atlantic Ocean, a small ship bearing two passengers had just entered Arendellian waters. The single sail ship had a peculiar design to it; not wide and upright like the other ships in the area, but long, narrow, and light, giving it a speed that exceeded most boats its size. One of its passengers, a small round figure, dressed in a rough, green, beat up robe with a hood, waddled out onto the deck after a night's sleep in the lower deck. She stretched out her grey, chubby arms, groaning from a sleepless night. It was morning now, but the sun was just deciding to rise, so much of the stars in the sky could be seen.

"Sleep well?" asked the figure at the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He was much taller, wearing more tailored and well kept clothing. Darkness obscured his facial features, but his flawless, cheerful voice suggested a man of elegant taste, somewhat opposite of the shorter person. The short, chubby figure turned to face him.

"Not till we get to some nice bare earth under our feet" she grumbled in a deeper voice than most women. "How are you so cheerful when you haven't slept all night?"

"I can't sleep when I'm on a job. Besides, the sky was a wake last night, so I had a show to keep me occupied."

The grumpy short figure rolled her eyes. "How far are we anyway? I've been sea-sick for days now!"

He looked at the map before him, tacked to a wooden board mounted just ahead of the steering wheel. "Well, according to my calculations, we just entered Arendellian waters, so we should be in Arendelle by midday today, given we have clear weather."

"Good. Hopefully there will be some steam vents in the ground so I can get some moisture under this skin instead of that poor substitute of a sauna you have below deck."

The tall figure at the wheel only laughed. "Oh, it was so quiet until you woke up."

Though it was meant as a joke, the shorter figure huffed in annoyance. "I sure hope we didn't make this trip for nothing."

"Me too Madge, me too."

* * *

 **And thus we escalate the plot! As you can see, I finally concluded the aftermath of Klydrun's escape, and Jase's state of mind about it. And now we have these two. Who are they you ask? patience my friends, patience.**

 **In response to JJAndrew's question on collateral damage: There will be some, some emotional, but defiantly some physical: Not Kal El and Zod leveling Metropolis damage, but more so than a dragon knocking down a wall.**

 **-Batman**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: 

A Rainy Day

 **Yes, I know, not my most thrilling title.**

* * *

The next day it rained all day, with no relief in sight. The skies were overcast, with not lighting or wind in the air; it was just a long, wet downpour. It was the perfect day to be lazy for anyone who enjoyed the prospect. On rainy days, work outdoors was usually impossible, and people tended to stay indoors, so no one went to stores, doctors, or banks. Many resorted to napping. Some who were busy people by nature, like Elsa, found themselves going insane from the lack of activity. No traveling meant no mail, no visitors, no meetings. There was literally nothing for the Queen to do today.

She lied sprawled out on the couch in the library. Over the years, she had read every single page of every book in the collection, and it's been months since any new one have been available in this time before the printing press. She stared out the window over her currently dreary kingdom It was about midday when Anna came in.

"You know, I don't know what it is, but men seem to enjoy sleeping on rainy days" said Anna as she walked in. "Or at least my men... Hmm, I wonder if it's genetic?"

"I'm so bored!" said Elsa, leaning back, staring at the ceiling in the couch.

"Have you read a book?"

"Read them all."

"Oh, well, how about we play a game... chess?"

Elsa's head perked up, her attention seized. "Chess?" It was one of Elsa's favorite past times, one she rarely lost at. Anna on the other hand had a less focused mind for the game of kings, losing the most to her sister, but she just liked to play for the sake of the game.

"Sounds like we've got a game. I'll get the board!"

After setting up the game, Elsa and Anna found themselves in a heated game of wit and strategy. Neither really had the upper hand, though a few pawns, rooks, and bishops sat at each other side of the board. They found themselves at a standstill. With over a hundred possible scenarios to play, the next move could either make or break them. It lasted several minutes before Anna decided to break the tense silence in hopes of either distracting Elsa or the change in tone giving her a possible idea. That, and there was something she really yet hesitantly wanting to bring up, and she hated it when things got quiet.

"So, tell me, has Jase talked to you about something, I don't know, interesting, life-changing, romantic?" she asked, twilling her fingers.

Elsa looked up briefly before returning to the board, it being her turn and all. A hint of a smile crossed her face; of course she knew what Anna was getting at, but she just loved to tease her so.

"Oh, nothing really. Just business as usual" she said, hiding a smile.

"Business?!" Anna remarked, almost shocked. "Um, I mean, oh, business... let me rephrase that, have you two been talking about, oh, I don't know, the future?"

"The future?" Elsa asked in mock surprise. "Well, we like how things are going."

"Like how things are... Elsa are you smiling!?" Anna said, seeing Elsa's teasing smile grow. "You know full well what I'm talking about don't you?!"

Elsa laughed. "Sorry, I just love that face you make when you get all flustered... that one exactly!" Elsa said when Anna made a frown and narrowed her eyes.

"Ha ha, hilarious" Anna said sarcastically. "I can't believe you guys are talking about this rather than have him make some big surprise proposal."

"Anna, I asked him to bring it up. Besides, I know of tons of people who do it this way."

"Oh you and your 'reality'. Don't you ever wish you lived in a fantasy?" Elsa looked up at her, raising her right eyebrow, as if to say 'really?'. "I mean more of a fantasy!"

" _More_ fantasy?" Elsa asked, letting some magic hover about in her hand, as if to clarify a point. "Given the amount of 'fantasy' we get on a regular basis, I would be happy with some 'reality', assuming it actually exists."

"Oh, it exists alright" said Anna. "And right now, you two are exhibiting way to much reality for this 'fantasy'."

"Hey, at least I'm talking about it rather than running away this time" Elsa said as she finally moved her rook.

Anna was about to say something, then shrugged. "Well, that is true..."

"And it's not like it's an arranged marriage or anything. I mean, I love him, and he loves me."

"And I'm more than happy for you" said Anna. She made silent "oh" as she moved her queen. "And you know I think the world of Jase. I see the way he looks at you sometimes; it looks like, like..."

"The same way Kristoff looks at you?"

Anna nodded. "Well, yeah. I was going to say it was the same way Dad looked at Mom."

Elsa nodded, smiling at the memory. "Yeah, I know that look." Elsa the made her next move, eating one of Anna's rooks

Anna frowned as Elsa took her pawn. Odds started to turn against her as Elsa took one of her favorite pieces. Anna stared at the board, pondering her next move. "So it's official then?"

Elsa nodded, just as she ate Anna's rook with her knight. "Just about, he just has to ask me to make it so."

Anna smiled. "My sister's getting married!" she said, then ate Elsa's knight with her queen. "Oh and check!"

Elsa's eyes shot wide, surprised by the sudden move. "Uh, yes, yes I am" she said, staring more intently at the board, looking at the board from every angle. Somehow, in the midst of conversation, Elsa had foolishly left her king exposed, and any wrong move now could cost her the game, and her pride.

"So" Anna said, "are you excited?"

Elsa smiled, still concerned with her predicament in the game. "Of course I'm excited" she said, moving her bishop to protect her king.

"Are you really?" Anna asked, crossing her arms.

"Of course I am. I'm just concerned about you eating my knight."

"For your information, I would never eat Jase."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I'm just messing with you!" said Anna, moving her queen back. "But really, game aside, are you happy with this?"

Elsa looked at Anna, her attention off the game. "You really want to know?"

"Have you met me?"

Elsa looked down, collecting her thoughts. Then she smiled. "Anna, I am truly, absolutely, infinitely happy, beyond comparison. I have a family who loves me, a kingdom that respects and admires me, a man who I _really_ want to spend the rest of my life with, and a sister who made all that possible."

Anna perked up. "Oh, you... (sniff) you're making me cry!" she said, wiping away a happy tear.

"Hey, it's true. I really wouldn't be where I am without you. For all I know, I would still be behind those doors." Elsa then moved her bishop forward, eating Anna's rook.

"Oh Elsa, I think we both know I would have resulted to black powder by then."

"That's probably true... but seriously, thank you for grabbing my glove all those years ago."

Anna glanced back up for mthe game to her sister. "Aw, your welcome Elsa." The sisters had a brief, happy moment of silence before... "And, check mate!" Anna said with glee as she moved her queen back forward, trapping Elsa's king.

Elsa gawked at the board. "But, but..."

"I did it!" Anna shouted, jumping up, knocking the table with her knee, causing much of the pieces to fall over. "Ow!" she said, grabbing her knee. "I did it! (ow) Hear that world? I finally beat Elsa at chess! (ow)" she screamed through the halls, occasionally limping from her knee.

Elsa leaned back, slouching in her chair while staring at the board. Two more weeks and she would have gone a year undefeated. She sighed in defeat.

* * *

Lionel Leewell was busy at the anvil the next rainy evening, busy repairing a sword for one of the guards which was damaged beyond repair. The blade was broken into three pieces after accicently hitting a stone pillar, one of the pieces to small to be forged with any accuracy. Any other blacksmith would have tossed the weapon, declaring it unserviceable. While beyond hope of repair to most, Lionel knew full well he could easily fix such a damaged weapon.

Three of the guards, not including his personal guard Fredrick, watched as he held the small piece in one hand, letting his fire magic enter the blade, turning the metal a blazing orange color. He then placed the metal on he edge of the broken blade, holding it until the semi liquid metal reattached itself back to the original blade. Then, taking the tip, he placed it onto the sword, once again letting his fire work its magic. When it was completed, the three pieces were now once again back into one blade, thought there was still some work to be done. While once piece again, the pieces didn't adhere evenly to each other, giving the sword a horribly crooked appearance.

Lionel then took the sword in his left hand, then let a blaze of flame emit from his right, aiming it at the problem area. He held it there until it was just the right shade of orange, then placed the sword on his anvil. He took his hammer, then swung it down, fire and magic coming of the hammer's tip each time it made contact with the metal. Slowly, the metal on the sword realigned itself, smoothening out and forming a straight, dignified blade once again. After about ten swings, he held the sword up and inspected it, turning it around and looking down its length to ensure a job well done.

"Alright Jep" he said. "Looks like she's usable again." The orange color then left the sword, flame returning to Lionel's hand as he called the flame out of the sword, returning it to a cool temperature. Once cool, he held it out to the anxious guard, who took a few practice swings with it. He laughed.

"Good as new!" he said. "Wow, thanks a lot Leewell!"

"Hey, no problem" said Lionel as he took off his apron and placed it on the hook. The three guards left, hunching under their coats in cover from the rain, leaving Lionel with Fredrick, his handler who was turning into a descent friend. "Hey Fred, is there any more work today?"

Nope said Fred as he rose up, stretching. "Nothing until tomorrow, sorry."

"Eh, it was a long day, I'm not complaining" Lionel said disheartened. No more work meant no reason to stay out, and that meant he had to return to his cell. In the last ten months, Lionel had served over half of his almost two year sentence, with only eight months to go. He had been worked like a mule and was tired to the bone each and every day, as he had expected. When there wasn't any blacksmithing to be done, he did hard labor. He couldn't complain however. In fact, he considered himself lucky, feeling that he should have deserved more.

Fred picked up the blue crystal lined cuffs, ready to escort him back to his cell.

"Wait!"

Fred and Lionel looked out the small shop, seeing Jase running at them in the rain. "Wait, Lionel" he said out of breath, having run from where ever he was. He took of his wet coat and hung it on a nail in the wooden wall.

"Sir Jase" Lionel greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"What can you do for me?" Jase repeated, trying to remember all that he came here for. "Well, first I would like to talk to you."

"Alright, shoot."

Jase looked at Fredrick. "In private, if you don't mind" Jase said respectfully.

Fred shared a curious glance with Lionel. "Well, I don't know" he said, swinging the cuffs. "The wife's expecting me early, you know with the baby and all, she's been giving me a hard time..."

Jase sighed. "Fine, I'll take him to his cell for tonight."

"Awesome!" he said as he through the cuffs and the keys to Jase, then picked up his coat. He waved goodbye to Lionel. "Alright, see you Lionel. Let's see if we can finish that game of checkers tomorrow, shall we?"

Lionel laughed. "Sure thing! Tell the Misses I said hi." With that, Fredrick nodded, then left, leaving Jase with Lionel. "Alright Mr. Lindstrom, what can I do you for?" Jase looked over his back, making sure they were truly alone. He walked inside the shop where they were alone. Lionel looked at his with curiosity. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Now listen, this has to be top secret. You can't tell anyone."

"Well that's a problem. See, I promised Luke no more secrets, and well he's my flesh and blood, so it would be wired not telling my own flesh and blood..."

"Have you been talking to Anna?" Jase interrupted, feeling a sense of deja vue.

"Princess Anna?" Lionel asked. "Um, no."

"Huh, she said something similar... Oh whatever! Fine, but just Luke, OK?!"

"Alright, sheez! What's so important?"

Jase looked around one more time. "I'm, going to propose to Elsa."

Lionel's eyes went wide. "Really? Hey that's great" Lionel said, careful not to say it to loud. He then took a step forward and slapped Jase on the back, somewhat harder than the knight had expected.

Jase jumped forward slightly from the impact of the more built man, rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah, thank you, _ow_ " he muttered under his breath." Anyway, I have this ring here..." he pulled out a ring from his jacket pocket.

"Oh wow, hey that's beautiful" said Lionel as he looked at the shimmering piece of metal.

"Yes. Well, the thing is, after looking at it for a while, I realize it's not what I want."

"What? Why?"

"Well... things changed after I got it. Elsa and I, our relationship is, stronger than before, and I want it to signify that. When I got this ring, I had a different feeling about her, and now, well, I believe it should have a more personal touch. Can you help me change this up a bit?"

Lionel picked up the ring. It was silver ring, and on the top sat a small, flower shaped diamond. It was beautiful in all respect, a flawless work of art. "Well, it's a beautiful ring. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I have a drawing here..." Jase said as he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it then showed it to Lionel. He looked at it, squinting his eyes and tilting his head.

"You, want me to draw a... bunch of squiggly lines?"

Jase looked back at it, then frowned. "Is it that bad?"

"It looks like it was drawn by a five year old." Jase arched his neck back, groaning in frustration. Lionel smiled, shaking his head. "How about you _tell_ me in detail what you want?"

* * *

As Jase talked to Lionel, the small ship that had been at sea for weeks now had finally arrived, being slowed down by the torrential downpour of rain all afternoon. Finally sailing into the dock, it's owner hoped down from the wheel and was quick to help his partner tie it up to the docks.

"So much for miday!" grumbled the short, feminine figure of Madge through the rain, sopping wet. "We'll be lucky to make it to the castle before nightfall!"

"Ah, I think we're going to have and wait till tomorrow" said the taller man as he finished tying his cleat knot. "I somehow doubt they're going to let us have a good night's rest once we show ourselves."

"You know what?" asked the short figure. "Good point. You deal with the harbor master, I'm going to bed!"

"For the last time, you go to bed way to early! There are still plenty of things to do at night!"

"Night time is boring, there's nothing to do but socialize and party."

"Exactly!"

"Look, I don't care what the sun says; it's not the boss of me! I'm going to bed, see you bright and early!" she grumbled as she walked down to the lower levels. The lone man sighed.

"Can I help you?" asked a man, the harbor master, walking down the docks. The older man had on a full trench coat, the whiskers of his greying mustache wet with rain drops. The man had on a similar coat, with the hood only covering the top part of his head, his face clearly visible to anyone passing by. He stood at attention, his bright and cheerful face showing under the hood.

"Ah, yes!" he said nervously. "I would like to park my ship here for the night, possibly two?"

"It's three shillings a night" said the harbor master. The man then reached into his pockets, counting out the price. "You and your wife here for long?"

"Whoa oh no!" the man immediately corrected, waving his finger to further exemplify the point. He was greatly insulted by the comment. "She is _not_ my wife!"

The harbor master tilted his head. "Mother?"

The man shrugged, curling his lip. "Yeah, sure, let's go with that" he said suspiciously as he handed the master his money. The harbor master took the payment without question. The man grinned a toothy smile, then waved goodbye. The harbor master decided to let it be, making a note to keep an eye on that boat. Alone, the man sighed in relief. "My wife indeed. Puh!" he said, returning to the lower decks to get out of the rain.

* * *

 **Who are these two? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Also, I might have gotten a full time job that I love since the last chapter (Jumping up and down for joy), so chapters _might_ come out a little slower... then again, I might be wrong. Every time I say this, I end up with a burst of creativity and end up writing more in a shorter amount of time. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Unexpected Guests

* * *

After a long and rainy night, Arendelle was rewarded with a clear, sunny morning. The birds were out chirping, the people were about and pleasant, and all seemed right in the world. Seeking a day out of the house, the two sisters managed to find time to go pick up Elsa's ordered book while Matthew "helped" Kristoff repair a broken runner on his sled.

The two had been engaged in casual conversation about a letter Elsa received; from Princess Kira in Berglia."

"What did she say?" Anna asked.

"She's planning to visit soon. It's been a few years since returning home, and she wants to get out a little."

"Good for her!" said Anna. "Nothing like a little travel to open the senses. By the way, I noticed it's been a while since _you_ have been anywhere besides here."

"Oh come on, I've been to plenty of places!"

"Anywhere that wasn't on business... or some sort of global disaster aversion?"

"Y, Yes!" Elsa said with some difficulty. "Like, like that time I went to... oh no wait, summit. How about... nope. Ooh! Gideon's wedding! There, a place I've been too where I didn't have to work, or save the world."

"And besides that?"

"OK fine!" Elsa said, knowing full well she was wrong. "But I like it here! Look, The sky is blue, the roses are red, the people are shaking hands saying 'how do you do."

As if to add emphasis, two strangers crossed passes, shook hands, and said "how do you do?".

"You see? It's a wonderful world!"

"I'm not saying it's not nice here. I mean, yeah, it's home, and I love it here, but isn't there some place in the world you've always wanted to visit? One of those pictures in books you've always wanted to see for yourself."

Elsa pulled a hair from her face, looking down. "It'd be too far."

"We still got some of Wes's traveling pill things. We'll be there and back in a flash, literally. You have no excuse for distance."

Elsa turned away shyly. "Well."

"Ah ha! I heard a 'well'! Spill it!"

"Well..." Elsa twiddled her fingers. "There is this one place..."

"Name it! Name it, and we'll all go! We'll make a family trip out of it! Just say the wor..."

"Australia" Elsa said plainly.

"Ah, there see? Was that so... wait, Australia?"

"See what I mean, it's a ridiculous idea!"

"No no! It's just, kind of caught me off guard there for a second. But hey, if you want to visit Australia, then we're going to Australia: The land of, kangaroos and, that funky accent..."

"And it has interesting geologic formations, and beautiful landscapes, and all those interesting animals" Elsa said with increasing giddiness, imagining the things she read about only in books before.

"Yes... most of them poisonous" Anna added under her breath. "I mean let's do it! I mean after the wedding of course, and the honeymoon, then we'll all go to Australia!"

Elsa smiled. "Really?"

"Absolutely!"

"Wow. Thanks Anna! Do you really think you can convince Kristoff? Or I Jase for that matter?"

"Oh believe me, I have a method to get Kristoff to do just about anything I want."

"Really?" Elsa asked curiously.

"Yep. See I just make my eyes really big like this, speak with a soft, gentle voice, dig my foot into the ground in an innocent manner, and raise my right eyebrow just so..." Anna demonstrated, looking like a little, sad lost puppy you just wanted to pick up and take home.

"Wow, you're good."

"Don't I know it. You see Elsa, it's all about playing your opponents weaknesses, like a favorite game, or a sad look..." Anna stopped, eyeing the window of a passing dessert store. Her mouth watered at the site of a particular cake she had never seen before.

"Or chocolate?" Elsa said. "May I remind you I have a meeting to get back to?"

"But Elsa, it's a chocolate _cheese_ cake!"

"What?!" Elsa immediately darted over to the window, joining Anna as they planted their faces on the glass, staring at the delectable dessert. "Ooh, it looks so good..." Elsa said hungrily before backing away, remembering her priorities.

"Oh no, I already promised myself to cut down on sweets after that last cavity" she said, taking a few steps away from temptation. "Come on Anna, we... Anna?" Elsa turned to find that Anna was gone, the door closing behind her after she darted into the store. Abandoned for sweets, Elsa sighed. "Fine, I'll go get my book myself" she said, the book store being only two windows down.

* * *

Elsa pushed the door open and walked into the book store. The front desk was ironically near the back, behind isles of books.

"Mark?" Elsa called the bookkeeper.

There was a thud from under the desk. "Doh!" yelled Mark. He then stood up from the desk, rubbing his head.

"Oh my, are you alright?" Elsa asked in worry.

"Ah, your Majesty!" said the middle aged, balding Mark. "Oh, don't worry, happens all the time. How are you this fine morning?"

"Oh, just fine" Elsa said.

"Quite the doosy of a storm last night. That darn roof of mine started leaking again. You'd think after the ninth time the repairman would actually get the job done right? Sorry, I take it you're here for your book?"

"Yes, actually. The one on American History?"

"Ah yes, the updated version. It's actually in the back. I'll be right back your Majesty." Mark then left via a backdoor into another room to retrieve the book, leaving Elsa alone. Elsa waited patiently as another customer walked into the store. Elsa turned, surprised by the familiar face.

"Mrs. Lindstrom!" Elsa greeted Jase's mother.

"Oh, Elsa, fancy meeting you here" said the shorter, older woman. "Catching up on some reading?"

"Oh yeah. That America, changing history everyday they are."

"Yeah, let's see how that democracy works out."

Elsa laughed softly.

"My son tells me that you two are very serious?"

"Oh, well..." Elsa blushed. "Yeah" she said bashfully.

"And he tells me he wants to jump the broom."

"Jump the, broom?"

"You know, getting hitched, tying the knot! You are educated are you?"

"Oh, getting married. Well, yes, we have talked about it."

"Yes, he told me that much. You know in my day, the men would always surprise the woman with such news."

Elsa rolled her eyes, Anna coming to mind. "Yes, well, given our, _history_ , I figured..."

"History? What history?"

Elsa bit her lip. "Well, uh... he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? What did you two do? You didn't..."

"ABSOUTLY NOT!" Elsa made perfectly clear. "All we did was take a break form our relationship a few years back...?"

"Take a break?"

"From our relationship."

"Who takes breaks from a relationship? That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard!" Merriam, yelled, going on into a rant. "You can't just put a relationship on hold! It's not a quilt or a chair you can just get back too! Good Lord, what is wrong with this generation!?"

"Jase really didn't tell you anything?"

"That boy, I swear, it's like trying to get him to open up is like trying to yank a splinter out of a foot! What about now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah now. Are you two committed this time? No more 'breaks'?" she said with air quotes.

"Um, no, no more of those. We are way over that, and we really made some progress with that. No more breaks, just a solid, sound, no break relationship."

"Well, that's good" said Merriam. Just as quickly as she blew up, she was suddenly just as content as she was moments before. The sudden change in mood was peculiar to Elsa. "So, is this official? When he does ask, are you going to say yes?"

"Oh yes, absolutely" Elsa said, nodding in reassurance. Normally the more confident one in the room, Elsa felt compliant, almost obedient in the presence of her soon to be mother-in-law.

"Well, that's good. I have to say, I've never had a daughter before, and I like to think of you as the one I never had."

"Aw, well thank..."

"But let me make this clear..." Merriam's mood changed once again instantaneously. She took a few steps over, closing the distance between her and Elsa as she spoke, as if with a tough Irish accent. "If you ever, _ever_ , decide to break his heart and crush his soul, I don't care what social class you're from, I will look for you, I will find you..." she was now directly in Elsa's face, staring at her with all the confidence of a bear staring down a fragile dear before dismembering it. "...And I will _break_ you."

Now, Merriam was a short, elderly woman, probably in her eighties, and Elsa was a young, fit, ice powered queen. If it came down to it, physically, Elsa could take her easy. But in that moment, Elsa now knew what Kristoff felt like when he asked for Anna's hand in marriage. She felt really bad about that now.

Elsa gulped. "I understand."

Merriam now leaned back, her arms crossed, as if waiting for a better response.

"Ahem" Elsa cleared her throat, realizing she was expecting more from her. She took a deep breath, then spoke form the heart. "Mrs. Lindstrom, I love Jase, more than I ever imagined I could love another man."

Merriam raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.

"And I wouldn't marry him, or anyone, if I weren't 100% sure I could make him happy."

"And how sure are you?"

Elsa took a second to think before responding "150%"

"A mathematically impossible response, just what I was looking for!" Merriam, once again, changed from a stern mood to a happy mood. She extended her hand. "You have my blessing!"

Elsa, suddenly relieved, grabbed her hand and shook it. "Thank you!" she said with a sincere smile. "Really, thank you."

"I trust my son dear, and I know him to be an excellent judge of character. You know, I once thought you to be a unbalanced, socially disturbed nut."

"He he, yeah."

"But, I was wrong. He left the nest long ago, and I trust his judge of character. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Just then, Mark came out the door, carrying Elsa's book.

"Now, when can I expect grandchildren?"

Mark froze, and Elsa could have died right then and their.

* * *

Elsa walked out the door of the bookstore, carrying her book and walking like she had just sat through the worse opera she had ever seen; her eyes were wide with utter horror. She strolled quickly down the street, passing the bakery just as Anna came walking out, chocolate smudging her face, eating from a plate her slice of pie. She looked at Elsa, who just stared at her blankly.

"Uh" Anna said with her mouth full. "I realize this looks undignified... but it was _sooo_ good..."

"I could have used a little support a few minutes ago" Elsa said with an exhausted voice.

Anna gulped down her bite. "Why? What happened?"

"I just got back from talking to Merriam."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Oh, I got a talk. A "don't break my son's heart talk'. You know, the kind _he_ would have gotten if Pappa had a shot at him."

"Hmm. That bad?"

"I'm pretty sure she threatened me."

"Oh Elsa" Anna said, placing a supporting arm around her. "Sweet, sweet Elsa. May I remind you that while you were grilling Kristoff about our engagement, I was getting hammered by Boulda."

"Really?" Elsa asked. "What happened then?"

* * *

The man and the shorter lady named Marge left the boat as soon as the city awoke, the morning hustle providing a means not to stand out before they made it to the castle gates. Marge was careful to keep her greenish, beat up, mold ridden cloak covering her skin, a hood covering her face. The man, much taller with cleaner, foreign clothing, was more carefree with his appearance, Only careful to cover the top and sides of his head. They walked through Arendelle's main road, walking right to the castle.

He breathed in, then breathed out in content. "Ahh, look at this place! I love visiting foreign countries! so much culture! So different from home..."

"So busy and noisy!" complained Marge

"Oh come on, look around! The culture! The atmosphere!"

"Easy for you to say, _I'm_ the one who has to cover up to prevent making a scene!"

"Oh lighten up! Look, I can see the castle gates from here. We'll go in, take off these disguises..."

"And get stabbed, plucked and prodded!"

"You're a real spoil sport you know? I doubt we'll cause that big of a reaction, they're very familiar with your kind already."

"Yes, and with your kind, well..."

"I doubt they're going to form an opinion after just one meeting."

"I still say we should have brought our weapons."

"Now what kind of message will that send when we greet royalty?"

"How are we supposed to meet with her anyway? I doubt we can just walk up to the front gate and ask if the Queen is busy..."

* * *

"...Actually she's out right now, but she'll be back momentarily" said the courteous guard to the two strangers.

The two travelers walked right up to the castle gate, and to their surprise, the two guards were more than helpful.

"Well, that was easy wasn't it?" asked the male traveler, mocking his more negative partner.

"Oh shut up" the shorter woman muttered.

"My partner and I would be most obliged" said the man to the guard.

"I'm just going to need your names... and, I should ask your friend to remove her cloak, unless you have something to hide."

"Ah" said the man. He looked down anxiously at his shorter companion. "I, suppose we should oblige Marge" he said. "Please forgive us if we seem secretive, its just we couldn't walk though town without making a scene if were were more open."

"Open?" asked the guard. He looked over to his fellow guard, who was gripping his sword nervously.

"I see that" said Marge in a sharp voice, noticing the guard's reaction.

"Marge, just remove the hood" said the man.

"Fine fine fine!" said Marge as she pulled back her hood. Both men initially flinched, expecting something worse, but relaxed when Marge was revealed to be a small, harmless troll. Slightly larger than the trolls of the Valley of Living Stone, Marge had an angular nose. Her moss like hair and stone skin were testimony to her kind, as was her rudimentary clothing.

"Oh" said the first guard in relief. "A troll?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" Marge complained.

"Oh Marge calm down!" said the man. "See, no problem."

"Oh, then why don't you remove your hood, then let's see them react!"

"React?" asked the second guard. He took a closer look at the man, who, by his face, looked by all accounts to be a normal man, though slightly taller and more thinly built than the average male.

"Oh, she's just being paranoid" said the man.

"Ha! I bet you twelve shillings that they will react more than friendly" challenged Marge, who crossed her arms.

"I'll take that bet" laughed the man. "Now, I'm sure you may be surprised at first" said the man to the two guards. "But I assure you..." he removed his hood. "I'm just as kindly a fellow as..."

The guards reacted instinctively as the hood drooped behind him. The long ears and long, dark blond hair gave away his true form; an elf.

On instinct, they took out their swords, pointing them at the two travelers.

"Code Delta!" Both the guards yelled. "We got a code Delta!"

"What?!" asked the elf as he and Marge raised their hands, quickly looking around as guards everywhere reacted.

"Code Delta?" asked a guard in the distance. "It's a code Delta!"

At this point, every guard in the courtyard heard and repeated the chain command. "Code Delta! they yelled as they drew their weapons. Citizens ran for cover, while the courtyard gates were shut. Archers lined the rooftops in a matter of seconds, all aimed at the troll and the elf. In a synchronous formation, the guards rushed the two in a circle formation, lowering spears, axes, swords and anything pointy at the two. All the while, the chorus of "code Delta" rang through out the courtyard.

"Don't move, either or you!" said the first guard. Marge and her friend, both hands still raised, found it impossible to move without running into a sharp object. Despite the situation, Marge smiled.

"That's twelve shillings" she said in a smirk.

"Well gee" said the elf sarcastically "I can't seem to reach my pocketbook at this time so I'll have to get back to you."

"What's your name?" asked the guard again.

"Name, right... Well, as I was going to say anyway, my name is Gethrow, Geth for short, and I _really_ need to talk to your Queen."

"Oh yeah, how come?"

"Well, without sounding too dramatic, about a end of the world prophecy only she can stop."

* * *

"...So now I know that she can essentially make me 'disappear' and leave no evidence of any fowl play."

"Wow" said Elsa.

"But, I'm still here, so I guess I lived up to her expectations, grandchildren and all. And that is why you shouldn't worry."

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure she's just bluffing."

"Besides, I bet you can take her any day."

Elsa laughed. "Do you realize we both fell in love with men with scary mothers?"

"Huh, I wonder if it runs in the family. Now that I think about it, I don't remember Papa speaking kindly of grandma...

Suddenly, a lone guard came running through the crowds, making his way to the Queen and princess.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" he called out of breath.

"Steve?" Anna asked. "What's wrong?"

"At the castle... need you... stranger asking for you... elf..." He then fell down, passed out from exhaustion. Anna took a step forward, kicking him slightly to wake him.

"Wow, he was really out of shape. I mean would it kill him to..."

"Anna, did he say elf?"

* * *

Down in the council room, Gethrow and Marge sat at the table, several blue crystals placed around them with about five spears pointed in their faces, along with four arrows from a guard at each corner of the room. If that weren't enough, five more guards lined the walls, just in case.

"One might call this overkill" Gethrow decided out point out. "I mean, neither of us have any special powers, so these crystals are useless..."

"Shoosh!" said Marge. "Don't engage them!"

"I'm just saying..."

"Do you know what's going on right now? They're preparing us for interrogation! They're trying to break us by keeping us here, making us panic and second guess ourselves, hoping one of us will crack."

"OK, first of all, I know a thing or two about interrogations, and that is a myth. Secondly, we don't really have anything to hide. I mean..." he raised his elbow up to the table to face her better. At the sudden movement, the guards shifted their weapons in uniform motion to follow him, a few of them grunting nervously. Gethrow noticed this.

"Well, I have to say, you guys..." he turned again, and once again the weapons shifted to get a better aim for his vital organs, "are very good at your job."

"Quit talking!" said the lead guard, one of the ones holding the spear. "Wait until the queen arrives."

"I'm just saying..."

"Silence!" at that, the weapons inched closer to him.

"Alright alright, sheez, you guys are touchy!"

* * *

Upon entering the castle, which was now on lockdown thanks to Dodgson thorough security procedures, Captain Dodgson personally escorted Anna and Elsa to the council room, where their guests were being held.

"Is all this really necessary?" asked Anna as she walked.

"You do remember what happened not that long ago with Klydrun, right?" asked Dodgson, who was standing near the door with almost a dozen guards.

"Well, yeah, but still..."

"Has anyone seen Sir Jase?" asked Elsa to Dodgson.

"None. I believe I saw him with Prince Kr... I'm sorry, Kristoff in town with Matthew some time ago." Dodgson, as well as everyone else in the castle, were reminded, almost constantly, that Kristoff _hated_ being called prince.

"Have you sent a guard to fetch them?"

"Of course your Majesty."

"Well, send them in when they get here."

"You're going in now? But..."

"Has our guests made any threats?"

"Well, no..."

"Are they armed?"

"No..."

"Then why all the security?"

"But, one of them is an elf, you remember how quick and crafty the last one was."

"Yes, and do you remember who put him in his place, or more importantly, who you answer too?"

Dodgson gulped as the temperature in the room dropped five degrees. "As you wish your Majesty" he said as he stepped aside, letting Elsa into the room. Upon entering, she saw the elf and the troll. The elf had on a brown shirt and a greenish, brownish robe, while his troll friend, somewhat larger than the smaller trolls she was used to, had a tough looking robe, dress like attire, of course made of mosses, lichens and such. Elsa calmly walked to the end of the table, looking at her guests.

"Queen, Elsa?" asked Gethrow.

Elsa nodded, not removing her analyzing gaze on the elf. He didn't remind her of Klydrun at all; his face was clean and healthy looking. His clothes were clean, easily foreign to any culture she was aware of, and his voice was clear and fair, not like the harsher, frankly scarier Klydrun.

"Ah, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gethrow, and this is my counterpart, Marge."

"I ain't no counterpart!" said Marge in a tough, yet feminine voice. "I'm your accomplice."

"Really, I thought we were friends?"

"Why we are I'll never know."

"Um, excuse me" interrupted Elsa. "I believe my captain said you came with a message, and right now I would really like to know more about you, like, a lot actually."

"Oh of course, where are my manners" said Geth. "Ahem. We've come to your humble kingdom to see if you have indeed come to fulfill the prophecy."

Elsa shot a side glare to Anna. "Perhaps a little more explaining please?"

"More? Oh, right, of course you don't know, nor should you be expected to know..."

"We come from the Lands North to see if you are what the elders believe to be true" interrupted Marge. "To see if you are the Snow Queen of the prophecy, the one who will vanquish the Vile One before he corrupts all that is good and bring peace to our ancient homeland."

Elsa was now wide eyed. She smiled, her lips vanishing under her jaws, then patted her sides. "Right... Um, could you, could you give us a minute?" Elsa asked. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Anna by the arm and pulled her out of the room, then closed the doors.

"You've got to be kidding me" said Anna.

"We don't know anything for sure" said Elsa, attempting to be calm.

"Elsa, they were talking prophecy, Lands North Prophecy!"

"I know" said Elsa. Both Anna and she were their when Kristoff related to them what had happened regarding Klydrun's escape, that his final words before departing were "Tell your queen that her time has come; that not even the prophecy can save her now."

"But before we go any further with this, we're going to need Grand Pabbie to confirm everything. Captain, find Jase and Kristoff, and keep this quiet. I don't want any crazy rumors spreading."

* * *

In a gloomy mountain fortress far north, the Vile One waited on his throne as one of his messengers, a bald human man wearing rough animals furs for clothins, came walking up to him.

"What news from Shamrock?" he asked.

The man bowed. "My Lord, communications have been delayed, and our spy just now got through. There were some, developments..." He gulped. "The council had sent two messengers to Arendelle, to communicate with Queen Elsa."

The Master laughed. "Pitiful. Well, go along, send a legion to intercept them."

"That's just it my Lord. This happened a few weeks ago..."

"What?!" shouted the Master. His voice echoed through the caverns. Based on the sound of movement alone, it being a dimly lit room, the man now knew his master to be standing. "How have we not heard of this sooner?!"

"The spy had problems getting the message across" the large man said in panic. "It wasn't until now he was able to relay the message past watchful eyes..."

"Spare me your excuses!" shouted the master as he spun around. "No doubt they would have reached Arendelle by now, brining her into this, where she would have otherwise remained clueless!" He stood for a moment in contemplation. Finally, after some deep thought, he turned back. "Go to Skouch. Tell him to take his best and go to Arendelle now. Destroy the messengers."

The man gulped again. "And, the Snow Queen?"

"She knows too much now. Bring her to me."

* * *

 **Hope you all liked that long chapter. Starting today, I will try to make ~4,000 words the minimal cut off point for chapters.**

 **How do you like Marge and Gethrow thus far? (Why Gethrow? Let's say I've been watching too much NCIS. That, and it's a cool, not overly used name. Spelled different obviously, but pronounced the same.)**

 **Who caught the Wonderful world reference in the beginning? As for Australia, I chose that as Elsa's dream trip for two reasons: According to Chris Buck, the director of Frozen, a recent trip to Australia somehow inspired some part of the yet to be made sequel (how so for a Norwegian set movie? I have no idea). That, and Australia is on the top of my list of places to visit, partially due to one of the people who left such a huge inspiration on me, Steve Irwin (RIP. Routing for your daughter on Dancing with the Stars! Aussie forever!).**

 **Silent Reader: Thank you for taking such an interest in my story! Just please don't lay off on the studying. I wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone failing a class.**

 **Also, the time is coming for where I will have to make a decision regarding Wes' backstory. The polls are still up, on my profile, but by next chapter they will be closed, so please vote soon. As of right now, most of you want to see Wes backstory in the spinoff series.**

 **Like I said before, chapters will be coming out slow until December when I am officially done with school. Until then, please be patient as I try to get chapters out faster.**

 **Until next time.**

 **-Batman**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The Messengers of Shamrock

* * *

"Alright, now what?" asked Jase. He and Kristoff, along with Matthew and Sven, where in the workshop in the back of the stables, where Kristoff was replacing a runner to his sled following Anna's latest "shortcut" attempt. The sled sat upside down on the floor. The old runner was just pried off from the legs of the sled, and it was now time to place the replacement on. Not particularly handy with wood, Jase had been helping Kristoff out with odd jobs to improve his skills in exchange for sword fighting lessons.

Sven lied in a corner, curled up with a snoring Matthew lying on his belly. This was one of those moments Kristoff wished he could preserve this image for eternity. It was evening, with only a few hours of sunlight left.

"Now..." Kristoff said in response to Jase. "We prepare the leg for the new runner." He then turned to the work table in the corner, where a small variety of tools were laid out. "We need to fill in the holes, so I like to use a little trick my dad showed me back in the day." He grabbed a small tub of sap and a bag of sawdust. "You mix two thirds of sawdust with one third of sap, and that makes this thick... paste I guess. Fill it into the holes made by the previous runner. When it dries, it's just like wood."

"Huh, pretty ingenious" said Jase, impressed. "Your dad taught you this?"

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah... one of the few things he was able to teach me before he left." _Left_ was the word Kristoff used most often for the departed, particularly his parents. His mother dying in childbirth, it was just Kristoff and his dad for a while. Then, after his father contracted pneumonia, Kristoff was left without either parent, alone with no known relatives at only six. Running away from every orphanage he was taken into, he finally found Sven, and after that, fell into with a group of ice harvesters, and then the trolls.

"He taught you young?" noticed Jase, knowing Kristoff was but a child when he was adopted by the trolls.

Kristoff nodded. "I'm sure he had a lot more lessons planned, but, well, life happens."

"Yeah, I get it" said Jase.

Kristoff finished mixing his sealer and went to apply it to the legs on the sled. "You know you're lucky, getting to know your dad before he left. I mean _really_ know him. I mean don't get me wrong, I've had great father-son moments with Cliff and all, but its not like my real dad abandoned me. He was committed to raise me, he just never got the chance."

Jase nodded. "I'm sorry."

Kristoff shrugged. "Thanks."

"Didn't you have any other family?" asked Jase.

Kristoff shook his head. "I think I did, but Dad never mentioned them. He and Mom came here from somewhere else, where I don't know. I wonder sometimes if they had a falling out with their family when they came here, and that's why I never heard of them. I don't know. It would be nice to know who my relatives were. Where I came from... I don't know..." Kristoff remained silent for a moment. He silently applied the sap to the sled legs, and Jase followed suit with his own spade, working on the left legs while Kristoff worked on the right. "Well, enough about me" he finally said, "what about you? You have a lot of history behind your name, right?"

Jase shrugged. "Well, yeah, a few generations anyway. Back until the death of the last king anyway."

"How long ago was that?"

Jase paused, shrugging as he made an educated guess. "Over a hundred years I guess. Most of the records were destroyed when the castle burned down, but my mom keeps a chest full of some papers and letters, naming relatives. Before the royal line fell, which wasn't long after Gregor was imprisoned, the ruling king or queen would choose a steward from the nobles. When the last king died, however, my great great... something grandfather was left with ruling, and his descendants would automatically inherit the position."

Kristoff paused, looking at Jase. "Wait, so you're technically a noble? Like, royal blood and all that?"

"I guess so. proving that would be iffy, and Kalamar doesn't exist anymore, but I guess I'm some part 'noble'. Honestly, I couldn't care less what my blood says. My Pa always taught me blood doesn't make the man; his deeds do. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, you're more noble than most nobility I've met."

"Oh, believe me, I know" Krisotff laughs. "I've seen some of those high class men. I can take them any day. Where I come from, nobility is survival of the fit..."

"KRISTOFF! JASE! SVEN! ANYONE!" Screamed a sudden, shrieking voice.

Kristoff turned in a swift, jerk-like motion to meet the direction of the noise. Sven awoke in an instant. He scrambled to his feet, flinging Mathew up through the air and onto a nearby pile of hay. Somehow, despite being face down in the hay, he was still asleep. In through the doors, sprinting as fast as his little legs could carry him and gasping out of breath was Olaf.

"Oh ,there you are! Come quick! Something big just happened!"

"Olaf, what on earth..." asked Kristoff.

"There's an elf in the councilroom!" he said.

"A WHAT?!" said Jase in astonishment. In his excitement, he hit the board holding the sap mixture, flipping it up and sending a blob of sap directly into Kristoff's hair. Kristoff cringed as the sticky substance came running down his face. Jase, realizing what he just did, looked apologetically as Kristoff.

"Sorry" said Jase. Kristoff didn't say a word, responding with only a glare.

"Wait, an elf? As in, a legit _elf?"_ continued Jase, too preoccupied to properly apologize. A sudden burst of excitement went through him. A spark of hope that he would finally get answers.

"I don't know if they come in any other kind" responded Olaf.

"Is it...?" Jase asked hesitantly.

"Who?" asked Olaf. "Oh the crazy assassin guy? No, this guy seems nice. Oh, and he came with a troll, and something about an ancient prophecy... Oh, and Elsa wanted you right away."

"Right. Come on Kris" said Jase, rushing out of the stables.

"Oh, and she also said if you could go get Grand Pabbie" Olaf told Kristoff, who was trying to pull the substance from his hair.

"Yeah" he said. "Sure. Just let me..." he realized the stuff had already set in his hair, and it was not coming out without a fight. "Yeah, yeah that seems more important. Come on Sven, I think the guards have a backup sled" he said, walking out the stable doors with a quickened pace. "Tell them I might not make it back till after nightfall" he told Olaf.

"Got it!" said Olaf in a salute before running of to where ever it was next he needed to go. Sven stayed behind in the stables, standing by the sleeping Matthew, who was snoring face down in the hay. After a few seconds, Kristoff came back in and picked up the sleeping boy. Sven shot Kristoff a glare, abverbally scolding him for almost forgetting his son.

"I got him! I didn't forget!" he said.

* * *

"Are you sure he's contained?" asked Jase to Elsa. No sooner did he enter the hallway outside the council chambers did he begin bombarding Elsa and Captain Dodgson with questions regarding Gethro and Marge, their two interesting guests. Anna stood aside, idly listening in, anxious for her husband and her adoptive grandfather in-law to come so they can get some questions answered.

"Twenty of my finniest guards surround him Sir Jase" said Dodgson. "Though her Majesty had requested they sheath their weapons."

"They are unarmed" said Elsa in defense, sensing that Jase would object to this. "And besides, they openly surrendered themselves and clearly identified themselves as messengers."

"Yes, and one of them is an elf" reminded Jase. "They're stronger, more witty, and faster than any one of us. And that's just what we _know_ of them, or where they're from."

"And that's what I intend to ask him" said Elsa.

Jase sighed, then began to pace the room. He was nervous, fearful of both the intentions of these messengers and what they, more particularly the elf, what they were capable of. Amiss his worries, another thought enter his mind. He wondered if this elf knew about the one elf he wanted to get his hands on.

"Still" Jase continued as he paced. "I think we should increase security."

"Why do you think I'm standing right outside this door?" said Elsa, crossing her arms with a small, cocky smile. "Trust me, he's not going anywhere."

Jase sighed, still not content with the situation, but had come to realize his own insecurities were taking over, so he let it go. He resumed his pacing. Elsa recognized his worries, and deep down, she too was anxious as ever, though her past gave her experience in concealing her emotions from others. Since her coronation, news of others with magical abilities came about, and Elsa found herself in the middle of it, almost as if fate drew her towards these situations.

When Jase and Kristoff related Klydrun's last words, about a prophecy, she thought nothing of it; prophecies were just words, after all. But now that these two messengers have come, supposedly from a far off kingdom in a mythical land thought by Grand Pabbie to have been abandoned long ago, she became unsure about her beliefs.

* * *

"They realize we can hear everything they're saying, right?" said Marge the troll, still sitting next to Gethro with the guards standing at attention behind them.

"Just phase it out" said Gethro, sitting still with his eyes closed, his hands on the table in meditation. "We've had a long trip, just clear your mind."

"How can you meditate at a time like this!" complained Marge. "We've been waiting here for over twenty minutes!

"I'm telling you, we should never had volunteered for this. I could be a home, napping in my hole in the ground! Instead, we're here, waiting for the worst."

"I like to take the positive out of every situation" said Gethro in a calling voice. "Chill, relax, be at one with your inner tranquility."

Marge shook her head. "You've been hanging out with your girlfriend too much."

* * *

Promptly after leaving Matthew with Gerda, Kristoff took off into the mountains with Sven. He had made it to the Valley in less time before and on less urgent missions, but on a sled neither he nor Sven were familiar with, he was forced to keep it slow. It was over an hour later before he finally made it to the Valley. It was nightfall, and the trolls were up and about, meandering around their home, doing odd chores such as cleaning rocks and forming a table of stones and such. Some were collecting their dinner in the form of lichens, mosses, and mushrooms.

"Kristoff's home!" one of them shouted. In unison, the trolls abandoned their chores to met their adopted brother and his reindeer. Kristoff was quick to greet his family, something he had a hard time doing as Matthew took most of his time, though he tried not to be a stranger. Matthew of course loved the trolls and played all sorts of games with them. But today, unlike the usual boisterous greeting, he noticed they were a little more reserved.

"Kristoff!" shouted Boulda. When Kristoff looked up, he noticed something was off. She wasn't the overly joyful troll he grew to know. She seemed worried, and soon, the rest of the trolls showed a similar concern. "Oh Kristoff, I'm glad you're home. Pabbie needs to speak with you." She immediately pulled Kristoff's arm, pulling him away to follow her. "He's been having visions."

"Visions?" asked Kristoff, confused. "What do you mean?"

"He's been having visions, _powerful_ visions. Like nothing he's ever had before. They've been happening non-stop for two nights now. We were just about to send a party to get you." She continued to lead him to Pabbie's cave: a small hole in the side of a small, grassy knoll. Boulda walked up, the rest of the trolls following closely behind Kristoff.

"Pabbie?" she asked.

After a few moments, Pabbie came waddling out of his hole. The sleepy eyed, anxious Pabbie eyed Kristoff. Kristoff was taken off guard, seeing the usually calm, collected troll now in a state of unease. Though obviously out of sorts, he tried to maintain a sense of calm to avoid panic.

"Grand Pabbie?" Kristoff asked.

"Kristoff, my boy" he asked in a weary voice. "We have visitors, don't we?" he asked. "An elf and a troll?"

Kristoff was taken aback. Sure, Pabbie was wise, and magic gave him certain abilities, but never pre-cognition. As far as he knew, telling the future was impossible.

"Y-yes" Kristoff stammered out. "How did you know?"

Pabbie looked down. "I've been receiving visions, dire, desperate visions" he said, his voice shaky and weak from a lack of sleep. "The sky" he said, looking up. Kristoff and the rest of the trolls looked up as well. Indeed the sky was awake that night; nothing unusual in this latitude, not even in summer. "It's speaking to us, trying to tell us something."

Kristoff looked down, worried. Pabbie didn't speak with his usual wise, intellectual voice. He was speaking like he was hallucinating. What could he be talking…

"Look!" one of the trolls shouted, looking up. Kristoff shot his eyes up. There were the lights as usual, but in addition, he saw what appeared to be a silent bolt of lightning. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. This lighting wasn't white, but multicolored, and it went off _inside_ the aurora. It sent what looked like waves through the lights, all along the length of the bolts. Continuing to stare, the lighting shot out, from north to south, seemingly stretching out to the south, as if reaching out for something. Then, after only about five seconds, the silent spectacle ended, the aurora returning to usual.

Now Kristoff looked back to Pabbie. He shook his head, as if trying to stay awake. "Pabbie" he asked, bewildered. "What was that?"

Pabbie looked to him. "I think we should go meet our guests."

"Pabbie, what is it?" Kristoff asked, kneeling down to his level. "What's going on?"

Pabbie looked at his adoptive grandson wearily. "I don't know."

* * *

Half an hour later, it was Elsa's turn to grow restless. Soon, without even realizing it, she began pacing with Jase. Anna had just returned from putting Matthew to sleep, frowning when she realized Kristoff had not returned yet. It was night now, and Anna knew Kristoff always traveled more slowly with a sled at night, particularly if it wasn't life threatening. Dodgson was standing at attention, as usual. Word was sent to Andar, who returned, saying his daughter was in the hospital. Elsa told the messenger to let him sty, knowing that she could manage without his help, though she would have to sort things out in the morning, depending on how things turned out.

When Anna saw how Elsa and Jase paced like clockwork, she couldn't help but giggle.

"Wow" she said, "You two are perfect for each other."

At this point, both Elsa and Jase noticed each other's pacing. They sighed, too exasperated to have a sense of humor.

"Alright, that's it" Elsa said, passing her limit in patience. "It's getting late, and we can't just expect them to wait forever in there. We'll let Pabbie have a word with them in the morning, but right now I want to know who they are and what it is they have to say."

"I'm for that" said Jase almost immediately.

Content, Elsa turned to Anna, nodded, then did likewise to Dodgson. She then took a deep breath, then opened the doors.

Before them were two beings sitting at the right, wide side of the long table, with a dozen guards standing at attention behind them. The troll look relieved, ready to go, while the elf opened his eyes, took a breath, and looked to his hosts, looking relaxed given the situation. Being her second time seeing her guests, Elsa took a closer look at their features. Marge was certainly larger than any troll she's met in the Valley of Living Stone, at least a foot or two higher than Boulda. She also had a less friendly, more worldly look about her. Her facial features had more edges; less round than the other trolls, and she seemed significantly older than the elf, but still agile enough to keep up with her taller friend. She wore typical, plant made attire wore by trolls, but also sported an old, heavily worn leather jacket, which had mushrooms and moss growing in places.

Gethro, being the only other elf she had ever seen, was certainly more lively looking than Klydrun. His skin was clear and had a healthy glow about it. His face was more narrow than most men she knew, and his eyebrows were set back, which made his blue eyes stand out. It wasn't the flawless face legends made them out to be. He had a few freckles about his cheeks, and a few wrinkles sat over his forhead. His brown, curly hair reached to just halfway down his neck, his long ears sticking out. It wasn't smooth, fair or braided as legends also suggested, but more unruly. He wore a blue shirt with a light, fine leather vest, along with the brown cape he wore over his shoulders. Marge seemed stressed out and grumpy compared to the calm, collected Gethro.

"That was the longest minute I've ever seen!" said Marge crossly.

"Please excuse my charming friend here" said Gethro with a courteous manner. "Long trip and lack of a warm meal has made her edgier than usual."

"Thank you for waiting" said Elsa, taking a seat directly across from Gethro. "I do apologize for the wait...Gethro, is it?"

"Yes. Gethro and Marge of Shamrock, at your service."

"Well, welcome to Arendelle, Gethro and Marge. I apologize again for all we've put you through. We were awaiting a friend from the trolls to arrive, but it looks like he won't be able to make it until morning."

"I heard I had kin down here" said Marge. "Had no idea there were colonies this far south. They must have been isolated for some time."

"Grand Pabbie said the Lands North had been abandoned for thousands of years" said Anna. "Is that true?"

"Not any more" said Gethro matter of factly. "My people, the trolls, and some humans returned almost a hundred years ago. For a while, we had succeeded in reclaiming our abandoned lands. Some of the old kingdoms had been reclaimed and our culture was flourishing."

"Things were going well" interjected Marge, "until, well, _things_ started happening."

"Things?" asked Anna. "What things?"

Gethro looked over uncomfortably to Marge, who was likewise uncomfortable. Gethro finally said "honestly, we don't know." he looked out the window, past the guards standing at attention, remembering much of what had transpired. "Our people have been vanishing, without a trace and without reason. First it went by unnoticed, but now almost a thousand people are missing, and rising. Then the raids started... dragon raids."

"Dragons?" asked Jase, remembering the beast that broke Klydrun out of prison.

Gethro nodded. "It's odd, being that there are not many of them left, and war mongering isn't in their nature."

"Tell that to the one that tore our dungeons to bits" said Jase.

Now Gethro looked at him with curiosity. "There was a dragon here?" Now he looked at Marge. "This far south?"

"Broke in, took that elf, and was off" continued Jase.

"An elf?" asked Gethro in surprise. "So, I'm not your first encounter? Shoot! I thought for sure..."

"What was his name?" asked Marge.

"Klydrun" Jase said, staring at the troll and the elf, analyzing them for a response.

Gethro showed no reaction. He thought inwardly for a few moments, then shook his head. "I don't know that name."

"Are you sure?" Jase asked, ever hopeful for any answer.

Gethro shook his head. He could sense a sense of urgency in Jase's question; a sense of desperation. "I'm sorry" he said.

"Listen, I don't mean to be rude" said Elsa, wanting to change the subject to a more immediate subject, "but you came with a message..."

"Ah yes" said Gethro. "Enough about where we're from, now more about why we're here.

"Of course" Elsa said. She was getting more questions than answers a, and they had yet to get back on subject. "The elf that was here" Elsa started, "Klydrun, spoke of this prophecy too just before his escape, and that _I_ was part of it. I feel that this is the same one you have come to tell us."

Gethro nodded. "Well, there are many prophecies, from the apocalypse to what time supper is. But in regards to you specifically, there is only one."

"And that is?" asked Anna.

"That she will end the reign of the Vile One" said Marge.

"Wait, what?"

"The one we believe to be behind these happenings" said Gethro. "We believed him to be a legend, a myth, but recent events point elsewhere."

"Whoa, hold on" said Jase. "What on earth would point you to a myth for the source of your problems?"

Jethro sighed. "I'm guessing no one had looked up at the sky as of recent?"

Elsa, Anna and Jase looked to each other. "What does the sky has to do with this?"

Gethro leaned back. "Alright Marge, you can read the prophecy now."

"Finally!" said Marge. She reached through her jacket pockets, finally coming forth with a small piece of folded paper. She began unfolded the seemingly minuscule piece of paper, only for the tiny scrap of paper to unfold into a lengthy scroll, the end of which fell down to the floor. She took out a stick bound set of glasses, then cleared her throat, and began to read.

 _"In the homeland of the Northern Folk,_

 _A Vile One will rise, a relic of the ancient times._

 _With the union of the Lights he will strike,_

 _seeking to wipe the good and the innocent from all kind._

 _But one will rise in a time of forgotten magic,_

 _a Queen, born with the power the Winter element._

 _A gift from the Almighty, passed through the Aurora,_

 _dangerous and cold, but beautiful, kind, and benevolent._

 _When the Lights meet before her twenty-ninth year,_

 _she will vanquish the Vile One and his allies._

 _Those she holds dear should however be warned,_

 _for the price of her love and friendship is high,_

 _And in the end, only time will heal all wounds._

Elsa, Anna, Jase, and the rest of the room remained silent as they tried to decipher what was spoken.

"Was that supposed to rhyme?" asked Anna, cringing at how the words lacked an elegant flow, and rhyming for that matter.

"It sounds better in old troll tongue" said Marge.

"So... wait" said Jase. "You're trying to tell me, that Elsa, our queen, is supposed to stop whatever it is in your homeland?" He wasn't entirely sure of what the prophecy meant, nor what it was they were asking of them. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good, and there was much, _much_ more to learn about this.

"Well, that's what we're here for" said Gethro. He now looked to Elsa. "Are you her?" he asked.

Elsa pondered this. She leaned back in her chair, trying to decipher all this. "Well, this does sound , familiar" she said, picking out features in this story, and the fact that she just turned 29 just furthered her anxiety. "But their is another who was born with the power, why do you think it is me?"

"Because" said Jethro. "Seven years ago, you called Winter, and it listened."

* * *

 **I'm back ladies and gentlemen! Assuming you've read my Tumblr post, you'll know that I have passed all my finals and am done with school forever! I can't begin to explain my absolute happiness!**

 **Let me just say how thrilled I am to be back to writing. Took me a while to get my mindset back onto storytelling, but let me assure you that semi-regular updates are now back. I don't know if you've noticed, but my last few chapters have been longer. This is probably partially to me having learned a lot about writing since my earlier days. That, and I've been reading this book, "Writing Fiction for Dummies", and man is that a good read! So many hints and tips on forming a story! I highly recommend all you writing to give it a shot.**

 **While brainstorming between studies, however, I have come to realize that this story will in fact be a very long one. I know I have said this before, but upon imagining the future scenes and scenarios, I began to realize "man, this is going to take a while to finish." So, just hang in there.**

 **So, like I said earlier, Gethro and Marge are still going over some development. I'm not sure if I said his hair was straight or not, but as of now, his hair is curly. I'm really trying to differentiate the elves in this story from elves of other fictional universes, most particularly Middle Earth.**

 **Hang in there, there is much more to go!**

 **-Batman**

 **P.S. Merry Christmas!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The Vision

* * *

Not once in the seven years since her coronation did Elsa, or anyone else, ever think that she could actually 'talk' to a season, obviously Winter. Sure, she had ice magic, and it was assumed she could control the weather, as long as it involved ice and snow and cold. When she cast that winter, she believed it to be her own magic, coming out of her in response to her fear. Not long ago, there was Gregor, someone with her power, who in a mad quest for conquest, attacked Arandelle and lost. Not long after that, the Princess of Berglia, Kira, was revealed to have had such a gift, and she actually did bring upon a winter storm on her country, albeit with enchantments from Lars and under great strain. Saying this, Elsa assumed she was simply more powerful.

So when Gethro tells her that she had in fact 'called' the winter, like it was an entity, it left her and her company confused.

"Of course she called a winter" said Anna, not understanding what the elf meant. "She doesn't have tropical powers now does she?"

"What? No, you misunderstand" continued Gethro. "She _called_ the Winter... the season of Winter. She summoned it and it came."

No one spoke, for they had no idea what he meant. Seeing their bewilderment, Marge began to explain. "Let's try this again. We know you can manipulate and create ice and snow. Big deal, hundreds before you have had the same gifts. But none of them, since the beginning of human history, have ever manipulated the season of Winter, especially to call it while in another season, particularly _Summer."_

"So what?" asked Jase. "No one before her had any accidental winters?"

"And what about Gregor, or Kira? Both of them could control the winter" said Anna.

"Gregor we knew about" said Marge.

"And the Princess of Berglia had only recently become news to us" said Gethro. "I can see where this can be confusing. But they only _manipulated_ the winter, in that Winter was already there when they acted."

Elsa thought back. It hit her that Gregor attacked near the end of Autumn, just as winter was about to hit anyway, and in Berglia Lars attacked in the dead of winter. It was eerily coincidental.

And now that she thought about it, she didn't even realize the winter had hit in Arendelle until Anna told her in her ice palace.

"That, and the prophecy states clearly that you can heal what only love can do." said Gethro.

"Which is?" asked Elsa.

"Heal a frozen heart... your sister's heart to be exact, the act which saved both her life and your nephew's"

Elsa turned to Anna quickly, remembering the second time her heart was frozen, and how Elsa, albeit with great difficulty, was able to remove the ice. At the time, Anna, Kristoff, everyone including herself were relying on blind hope. Pabbie had stated that only an act of true love could thaw a frozen heart. Elsa knew that she could remove ice from any other wound, such as Jase's head wound from Gregor. But a frozen heart? A wound that Pabbie himself could not heal? It seemed impossible. But alas, the impossible happened, and Elsa saved her sister and her nephew. She had called it a miracle, but a sign of a prophecy?

At this moment, a feeling of dread began to slowly form in Elsa's gut as these realizations began to click in her head. It was as if these allegations angered her, or troubled her or something. She attributed this to a distrust; distrust of these two strangers, whom she knew nothing about, after all.

"What we mean to say is" continued Gethro, "Is that our shaman's have determined the identify of the Snow Queen of legend. They believe that Her Majesty is indeed the one the prophecy refers to, the only one who can call Winter itself.

Elsa was quick to shake her head dismissively. The gut feeling in her grew stronger, and she didn't want to hear any more. "This can't be" she said. "I'm the Queen of Arendelle but nothing more."

"I realize this might be hard to..." started Gethro, before Elsa interrupted him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gethro, but you are mistaken" Elsa was quick to retort, more harshly than she had intended. The feeling in her gut grew, turning into an overwhelming sense of dread. At his point, she began to loose her firm demeanor, quickly retorting to her fallback emotion, an emotion she worked hard to suppress: fear.

"Elsa?" Anna asked, the first one to see the early warning signs.

"I think you better go..." said Jase to Jethro and Marge. He went on to say something else, but Elsa didn't hear it. Instead, his voice faded to mute, though his mouth continued to move. Everything became blury.

Now things became weird to Elsa. What she had believed to be nothing more than an uneasy feeling was now turning into something else. With the room growing more and more blury with each move of her head, she knew the time to alert her friends to her condition was too late. Soon, all she saw blured into one another into a dark, molted grey mesh of a void. No room, no friends, no elves or trolls.

 _It was just her alone in this empty space. A whitish mist formed around her. She looked around her, somewhat mesmerized by the vision before her. She turned to her right, where she saw a figure. It was slightly shorter than herself, shrouded in a black robe. The silhouette was blurry, the edges of the humanoid figure swirling in a blaze. The being looked at her, then snickered. Elsa stepped back in shock, her sense of space and judgment still in a daze. She turned to flee, only to see a large, reptilian face appear through the mist. It was a dragon, a greenish, bluish dragon, with ebony horns pointed backwards on its head. Across its face was a white scar, the shade of which seemed familiar. The beast looked on, like it didn't see her, focusing on something else in the distant. It roared, then darted away._

 _The image vanished in a blur of mist, then turned into an image of a castle. It stood to the North of a small city, surrounded by two rivers. The image blurred again, this time showing her a war zone. Men, trolls, and what she throught were elves, were fighting against other trolls, men, and elves. Among the faces, she recognized Gethro, alongside her soon to be fiancé Jase. They fought through their enemy. Leaping into view she saw Wesley, fighting alongside his companions. He seemed, enraged, and focused, something she had never noticed in him before._

 _In yet another image, she saw a mountain face, an a cave near its peak. She was thrust into the cave, where a silverish, glowing light appeared around her. It felt sickening, and again familiar. She heard what she thought was ice and glass cracking, followed by a muffled scream, a scream that sounded an awful lot like her sister's_ _. She turned to see the cloaked figure again from before, growing in size. Then he laughed. It wasn't a horrible, evil laugh she had come to expect from such images, but instead like that of an average man. It was a typical laugh one would come to expect when seeing something funny, a very casual, un-menacing laugh. This only unnerved her more. She was surrounded now, by a flamelike swirl of snow, magic, darkness, fire, and that silver light. She grew dizzy._

 _"Elsa!" called a familiar voice. Elsa tried to focus through the swirling images. A faint, comforting light shun through._

 _"Elsa!" It called again. This time, Elsa recognized the voice._

 _"Joan?" she asked. She felt like she was about to hurl._

 _"Elsa! Listen to the..."_

"Elsa?"

Jase calling her name was what snapped her out of it. She was still sitting at the chair; Anna, Jase and Dodgson by her side, and the elf and the troll before her. They were all fixed on her, like she had done something embarrassing. She had expected to see ice of snow covering the room, but was surprised to see that it was still warm in the room.

"Elsa, are you alright?" asked Anna.

Elsa hadn't even blinked for who knows how long. She hadn't even moved, and yet it felt like she was dragged through another dimension, then thrown back as quickly as she left. Unnerved, and fearful of what she just experienced, she prayed for an excuse to leave.

"Hey guys" said Olaf, his little head peeping out the door. "I think Kristoff just pulled up..."

Elsa said not another word as she turned and made a bee-line for the doors, ignoring Olaf as she went out.

* * *

"Elsa?! What the heck?!" asked Anna down the hall, following Elsa at a distance as she rushed into the nearest room. It was one of the reflection rooms, the very one Hans trapped Anna in all those years ago. Elsa went in, closed the door, and went over to the fireplace. She put her elbow on the mantle and leaned against it. She took several deep, exhausted breaths, as if she had just run a marathon. Having finally come to a stop and had a moment to herself, she realized that she had no memory of the short trip over to this room. She left the council room with only the instinct to run, her conscious mind in a dazed from the vision. She was still dizzy, and held on to the mantle with both hands now, feeling weak. She looked up, realizing she had left the council in an disorderly, very unprofessional manner. And with foreign dignitaries nonetheless. All of that was on instinct, having reverted back to her earlier days of reacting in fear as opposed to logic.

It took a major event to trigger this response from Elsa; having her senses numbed and a series of images forced through her head seemed like the type of thing to do that.

"Elsa, what was that about?!" Anna asked insistently upon entering the room. "Look, I realize that you don't people making a big deal about your powers, but that is not how you..." Anna stopped, realizing that Elsa was trembling. Her eyes seemed bloodshot, like waking suddenly from a deep sleep. Seeing that something was greatly troubling her sister, Anna asked for sympathetically "Elsa?"

Elsa turned to face her. She gulped, still nauseous from the experience. "I'm, sorry. I, I don't know..." Elsa went to take a step towards Anna, but lost her balance and stumbled.

"Whoa!" said Anna as she jumped forward to straighten her sister. "Elsa, what happened?" she asked worryingly. "Was it something you ate?"

Elsa shook her head. Anna held her up as she helped her over to the couch to sit down. Nearby was a pitcher of water and two glass cups. Anna poured her sister a cup of water and handed it to her. "What happened?" Anna asked again.

Having taken a sip, Elsa sighed deeply, still panting. "I, I saw something."

"Saw something?" Anna asked, raising an eyebrow. She truly had no idea what her sister saw. All she saw was Elsa freeze, staring blankly at the wall for half a minute. She and Jase both called to her, only on Anna's fourth try getting a response. After that, Elsa bolted. Anna and Jase both got up to follow her, though Anna made Jase stay with the messengers, believing Elsa to have blown a fuse or something else less serious.

"What do you mean? Did you have a panic panic attack?" Anna asked, seeing the signs of Elsa's earlier, more secretive days.

Elsa shook her head. She remained quiet, trying to find the words to explain what she saw. "I don't know how to explain..."

"Then take your time" said Anna, who had since sat down next to her, ready to listen.

After some time, Elsa shook her head. "I think, I think I had a vision."

"A vision?" Anna asked. "Like, like a dream?"

"No, more than that. The last thing I remembered was, what was their names? Gethro and Marge, explaining their prophecy, and the next thing I knew, Jase was calling my name."

Anna nodded. "You did seem kind of phased out for a minute there. You were, eh, looking at the wall, kind of blankly. I even shook you, and you didn't budge... You saw something?"

"In my head" Elsa confirmed. She opened her eyes wide, unsure of what she saw was real, or more importantly, making sure that what she saw right now was in fact real. She shook her head. "I, I was alone. I saw images... places, _things_..."

"What things?" Anna asked.

Elsa tried to recall. At the moment, everything seemed swirled and mashed up. She remembered the figure, some sounds, and a place? She remembered the familiar voice, but couldn't remember it's owner. "I don't remember" she finally said.

Anna nodded. She realized that Elsa was in no shape for prying. "Alright, take your time. We'll figure this out later..." Anna remembered what Olaf said, that Kristoff had made it back with Pabbie. "I'm going to go straighten this out. Maybe send them, the messengers, to a room or something under guard until we can figure this out. Will you be alright?"

Elsa nodded.

"Awesome. I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise." Anna stood up, hesitant to leave like this. But Elsa freaked out at the worst time, and in the middle of a meeting with mythological creatures nonetheless. It was late now, past nine, and she had to go fill in Kristoff and Pabbie on what happened. That, and a royal had to be present for something like this. Unfortunately, Anna had to step up, since Elsa was in no state to do it on her own. Anna continued to talk to her as she left the room. "I'll be back as soon as I can, alright. Just rest."

Elsa nodded. Anna closed the door behind her and left, leaving Elsa to her thoughts as she tried to sort out the images she saw.

* * *

"...Are you good with a bow and arrow?" asked Olaf.

Once Elsa had left, Olaf was left with Captain Dodgson, Jase, Gethro, Marge and the other guards who had not budged from their position along the wall. Meeting Marge and Gethro for the first time, Olaf was quick to introduce himself, establish that he liked warm hugs, and wanted to know everything there is to know about elf-kind, since the last elf was 'not very nice'. Jase and the Captain attempted to show them to one of the more easily monitored rooms in the castle, but Olaf almost immediately broke out with the questions.

"Another stereotype" said Gethro, who had been battered by many ridiculous notions already. From working for Santa Claus to making cookies in a tree. "Some hotshot a while back made a big name for himself in legend, and suddenly everyone assumes we're all natural born archers."

"So, most elves don't do archery?" asked Jase, giving in to curiosity.

"Don't be ridiculous. A majority of elves are natural born crack shots... just not all..."

"Like yourself" added Marge with a snicker.

"I have done well by my sword!" said Gethro defensively. "I have never needed a bow and arrow before and I don't need one now."

"He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn" said Marge to the others.

"The sun was in my eyes!"

"You hit the target master..."

"He lived! Besides, I thought we all agreed to forgive and forget!"

"Ooh!" said Olaf, unfazed by the argument between the troll and the elf. "Are you really immortal?"

"For Pete's... nothing physical is immortal! We are born and we die like everything else... minus an extra few hundred years, but immortal no."

"Is it true that some elves work under masters as house servants?"

"Here we go again with the house elf thing!" said Jethro in annoyance. "Where did you get theses insane ideas?! Look, we're just like everyone else!"

"Can you do anything magical?" asked Jase, thinking back to Klydrun's escape.

"What? I mean, yeah. To a limited extent, nothing beyond simple enchantments, same as everyone else."

"So, what about turning invisible?..." began Olaf, unaware that the elf had long past his annoyance level.

"Hey, how about snowmen, huh?" began Gethro in retort, deciding to change the tables. "Is it true you can glide down hills on your belly? Huh? "

"Oh, yeah that's fun!"

"What about eyes made out of coal?"

"You know, I have no idea what my eyes are made out of" said Olaf, crossing his eyes.

"Can you smell through your carrot nose, huh?" Gethro asked, more out of trying to get back at the snowman than out of curiosity.

"I can't smell... or breath."

"What about your stick arms, how do those work?"

"I know right?! Their not even made out of frozen water!"

"Does nothing annoy you?!" asked Gethro in defeat.

"Nope!" Olaf said Cheerfully.

"Ugh" said the elf, hitting his head against the table. "I have a headache."

Marge just smiled smugly, seeing this as payback. "So, what happened to 'keeping calm'?"

"Shut up."

As if on cue, Anna came in, quietly opening and closing the door behind her. All eyes turned to her, anxious to here what had happened to the Queen. "Ahem" she began. "Queen Elsa appears to have come down with a bad case of... food poisoning, and had to, uh, leave. I apologize for this inconvenience."

"Not an inconvenience" said Gethro, leaning up quickly, refusing to show weakness to the Princess.

"Well it was a little inconv... ow!" said Marge as Gethro kicked her leg under the table.

"I think we should retire for the evening" said Anna. "Captain, can you take Gethro and Marge to the guest quarters?"

"Absolutely Your Highness" said Dodgson as he rose at attention. "This way" he said as he led Gethro and Marge out the room.

"You don't happen to have any dirt lined rooms, do you?" asked Marge.

"Oh come on" said Gethro, "it's not like..."

"We can bring up some dirt if you like" said the Captain.

"Really?" asked Gethro.

"We have the trolls stay over some times. It makes sense if you live here."

"Well it's not like I'm not used to the concept; you should see the inside of our ship. But here in a human castle?" he asked as they were led out. There conversation continued as Dodgson led them down the hall, the guards following behind. Anna was now free to speak with Jase and Olaf alone.

"What really happened?" asked Jase.

"Elsa, um, had a vision, I think."

"A what?"

"I know, it's weird."

"Is she alright?"

"She's a little confused and dizzy, but she asked to be alone for a little bit to try and make sense of it. Jase, I need to go back and check in on her. Can you go fill Kristoff and Pabbie in on what happened?"

Of course he didn't want to. He wanted to go see Elsa and make sure she was alright. But he knew she was in good hands with Anna, and somebody had to see to Kristoff and Pabbie. He nodded. "Of course."

* * *

It was slow going in the dead of night, but Kristoff finally made it home at 10, he thought. He had already parked the sled in the stables and tended to Sven. He saw Olaf in the stables and asked him to send word to Anna that he had made it with Pabbie and Boulda. Yet, when he walked through the courtyard and through the castle doors, he was greeted by no one, which was odd. He figured Elsa didn't want to leave the messengers waiting, so she must have started the meeting already. He waited downstairs in the main hall for almost ten minutes now without a word. Wasn't he told to hurry?

"Hmm, where are they?" he asked. Boulda had seen to Pabbie, making sure he was sitting down. The old troll had regained some of his composure, but was still tired from his visions. Kristoff had taken to staring at the suits of armor, looking at his reflection in the odd shapes of metal. Finally, they heard footsteps. Down the spiral staircase, Kristoff saw Jase come down.

"So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?" he asked sarcastically.

"We just ended the meeting. Man have I got a tale to tell you."

"Likewise."

* * *

Anna went back to the room, but found no trace of Elsa. Merging on panic, she walked to the next room, the library, where she found Elsa pacing next to the window, anxious as ever.

"What part of stay put don't you get!" said Anna, coming in. "I'm already stressed out enough! Don't go leaving me guessing where you are!"

"Sorry" Elsa said distantly. She shook her head. "Really, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Anna walked closer. "Did you have time to think?"

Elsa nodded. She tilted her head, signaling Anna to follow her. She went to the couch by the fire place and sat down. Anna did like wise and sat down on the other end. She waited patiently of Elsa to speak.

Elsa stared at the fire, gathering her thoughts. "I was panicked before" she began, speaking slowly, careful of her choice of words. "I felt like I was dragged into a dream, another world, then just shot back out. I was just, dizzy and confused. Most of it I can't explain. But there was a figure."

"A person?" Anna asked.

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know. He was shrouded in this cloak. I didn't see him clearly, or, anything really. Everything was blurry and jagged, like looking through a stained glass mirror in the church. There was him, and a castle, a dragon. I saw Jase in a battle I think. There was a mountain... after that, just, blurs and colors... I think I heard Joan."

"Really?" Anna asked. "It's been a while, right?"

Elsa nodded. "I don't think this is just coincident Anna. This isn't just some panic attack like I used to have. This was, metaphysical."

Anna nodded uneasily, then stopped. She rolled her eyes up, as if trying to make sense of a difficult question. "This is about math now?"

"Metaphysical refers to something beyond physical understanding" Elsa deadpanned.

"Puh, _of course_ that's what it meant!" Anna said, waving her hand. She patted he knees unceasingly. "Ahem, but, seriously, you think this is, magical, or something?"

"You say that like it's a surprise."

"Well of course it's not a surprise. I mean, you have magic, Olaf is magic, we have a fire mage in the dungeon, my in-laws are trolls, there's an elf in the guest room, that turn-coat pirate can teleport anywhere in the world... do you want me to keep going?"

Elsa giggled, Anna's intention exactly. "Yeah we do have a lot of that going around do we?"

Anna smiled. "I don't think it's going to end anytime soon."

Elsa looked back at the fire. "You don't suppose our messengers did something to me, do you?"

"What, like a spell or something?" Anna shrugged. "I mean, anything's possible. Look, Pabbie's here, and the messengers are in the guest room under guard. I think we should just go to bed and sleep on this. Sound good?"

Elsa turned back to look a t Anna. "To tell you the truth, I'm afraid to go to sleep. What if my dreams are worse?"

Anna nodded. "Right. Tell you what, I'll stay with you tonight."

"Oh Anna, I couldn't..."

"Oh I insist. You're going to need some sleep anyway, and I don't think sleeping alone is going to help you any."

Elsa went to retort again, but relented. She turned back to the fire, then back at Anna. "Alright. Tomorrow we'll figure this out. For now, let's get some sleep."

* * *

 **So many re-edits with this chapter. Every time I thought I had it done, something seemed really off and I had to go back. It was like I had this Chinese sense behind me going "Wrong! (strikes back of head) Again!" Imagine that.**

 **Well, not much to say here, but action will becoming in either the next chapter or the chapter after. It looks like you are all looking for Wes to not have his identity revealed in this story, but rather in the spin-off. I am now making this official and closing the poll. Thanks to all those who voted!**

 **Happy new Year!**

 **-Batman**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Plea

* * *

Elsa did not sleep well that night. Neither dreams nor visions haunted her, nor feelings of dread and fear. Rather, it was her snoring sister, who as it turned out was a restless sleeper. Having not slept in the same bed since they were kids, Elsa just assumed Anna finally outgrew her restless nature when it came to sleep. A few smacks in the face and a kick in the ribs gave her a clear reminder that her hyperactive nature did not cease in sleep. That, and her snoring, which sounded like a steam locomotive crashing into a sawmill had Elsa crawling underneath her blankets and pillows, hoping to find some peace. Somewhere deep in the night, Elsa finally found some sleep, but by then the sun crept over the horizon, and an eastward facing window let the sun's rays remind Elsa that it was now day.

Reminded of all that transpired the day before and what lied ahead, Elsa kicked off the blankets, and her tangled hair sister, and got dressed for whatever this day had to bring. She picked out a light blue, long sleeve shirt, a dark blue skirt, and a blue vest.

It was still early, about 6:00 PM when she went down to the dining room for breakfast, only to find that Pabbie was already there with Kristoff and Boulda, eating some sort of homemade... something. Elsa walked up quietly, as they appeared to be catching up. She remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt, until Pabbie spoke.

"Elsa?" he asked, sensing the Queen's presence.

Elsa cleared her throat when the other two turned to her. "Good morning" she said shyly.

"Good morning" Kristoff said cheerfully. "Want breakfast? I made some mushrooms and beetle mush."

Elsa gagged, but she held it back. "Uh, no thank you. I'll... wait till later."

"Suit yourself" he said as he chomped down a spoonful of something that looked like it belonged in the compost. "So, a lot happened last night?"

Elsa nodded. She stepped closer to the table and took a seat. "I'll say" she said as if disappointed.

"Jase filled us in last night. Our guests sound... interesting."

Elsa nodded. "Did he tell you about... what I saw?"

Kristoff nodded.

"A vision, he said" said Pabbie. Elsa nodded. "I have also seen such visions your majesty, over the last few nights."

Elsa perked up. "Really?"

"It's been keeping him awake" said Boulda worryingly. "And you? Have you been sleeping dear?"

"Oh, well, sort of" said Elsa, thinking of Anna's relentless snoring.

"Elsa, tell me. What did you see I your vision?" asked Pabbie.

Elsa sat back. She had had all night to reminiscent of what she saw. Now, not so nauseous, she could remember much more vividly. "There was a man" she said. " A man in a black robe. After that, there was a dragon."

"A dragon?" Kristoff asked.

"Not the red one you described. This one was green."

"Anything else? Dragons vary significantly from one individual to another" explained Pabbie.

"Anything else? Well, I think he had two horns on his head. I mean, I've never seen a dragon before, so I don't know what to look for."

"I see. Anything else?"

Elsa thought back. "There was a castle... then I saw a battle. Jase was there."

"Jase?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes. He was, fighting, with the elf."

"The elf? You mean the messenger up stairs?"

"Yes, Jethro is his name. I might have seen other friends as well, but I wasn't sure. Then I saw a cave..." Elsa paused. "After that, it was just confusing shapes and lights..." Elsa stopped. Only Anna knew of Joan, her guardian angel. Her friendship with the spirit was private and more personal than most. For reasons she couldn't explain, she kept Joan's existence from most others, minus her sister. She felt like it was an unspoken rule to not announce her presence to the world. "After that I woke up, or came back I guess."

Pabbie nodded. He hopped down from his chair and walked to Elsa. Up close, Elsa could see the tiredness in his eyes. He gently took her hand in his own. "Elsa, visions are a rare phenomena. Some are prone to these, having them on a regular basis, another 'gift' received by humans. But for someone who does not have this gift for it, it can only mean one thing."

"What's that?" she asked nervously.

He looked up to her. "A great imbalance. It means that something is coming, and only you can determine its outcome. For someone with you gifts, it means that something big is about to happen."

Elsa looked at him uneasily. "How big?"

Pabbie let go of here hands. With some strain, he raised his hans, showing a glowing image just above her head. It showed the Northern Lights swirling about in shades of green and purple, as usual. "Tell me, Elsa, have you been watching the night for the last few nights?"

Elsa shook her head. Everything had been calm and normal before the messengers came. Everything was pleasant now in Summer. There were no summits or meetings as of right now. Arendelle seemed to be taking care of itself. Though she did not do something so simple as to look up in the night sky.

Pabbie's image changed again. This time, the Aurora seemed, jagged. She saw more harsh swirls of color, like a storm, and streaks of lighting stretched out from its center. Though they didn't go to the ground, but rather reached out across the sky, to the south.

"What am I seeing?" she asked.

"It is rare right now, but it is increasing in frequency, exponentially actually."

"I saw it too" said Kristoff, speaking up. "Last night. I've never seen anything like it."

Elsa looked back to Pabbie. "What does this mean?"

Suddenly, the image faded. Pabbie hunched down, but remained standing. He shook his head sadly. "I don't know your majesty" he said, as if ashamed. He looked down, not wanting to make eye contact. "With all that I know and with all my gifts, I simply don't know what any of this means." He turned around, hobbling back to his troll sized chair.

"It's OK Pabbie" said Kristoff. "We'll figure this out."

Pabbie looked back up to him. "I hope so my dear boy. I certainly hope so."

* * *

That afternoon, giving the Messengers time to wake up and eat, Elsa planned another meeting, this time with Andar, Kristoff, Pabbie and Boulda present. She thought it not wise to alert the rest of the councilmen, given that they had not yet fully understood what was happening, both in the physical realm, and the supernatural one.

They waited in the council room, awaiting the guests to be brought in. Pabbie was talking to Kristoff and Anna in the corner, while Elsa spoke to Andar and Jase near the table with Boulda listening in.

"Do you remember anything else your majesty?" asked Andar. Elsa was sitting down, while Jase stood aside, his arms crossed.

Elsa shook her head. "Everything was vague and blurry. I mean, maybe there was something, but if there is it's a sensation I can't describe."

"This wasn't like a dream, was it?" asked Jase out of concern.

"No. I had vivid dreams before, but this was more, physical. I felt sick afterwards, like I was spun around on a... those spinning things in playgrounds..."

"Roundabout?" asked Andar.

"Right, roundabout. Like I was on one of those things for an hour."

Jase thought for a moment. "You said I was in it?"

Elsa nodded. "And the elf, and a dragon, and a castle and a mountain... I can't make sense of any of it. You were in battle Jase, with Jethro the elf."

"Side by side or on different sides?"

"I'm almost positive you were on the same side."

"So our messengers our trustworthy then?" asked Andar.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I'm reducing the guard. I'm hoping they will offer more information on what they want me to do exactly. But I'm not going to bring up the vision, not for a while anyway."

"I agree" said Jase.

"What do you think they will ask you to do?" asked Andar.

Elsa turned around, seeing Anna and Kristoff converse with Pabbie, no doubt catching up and relating his fears. She turned back to Andar and Jase. "One can only imagine, but I feel they want me to fix whatever problem they're facing in their country."

"I don't like this" said Jase. "We know so little. How do we know..."

There was a knock at the door. Kai stepped through. "Our guests are waiting" he said.

"Of course" said Elsa. She straightened her seat at the head of the council table while everyone else took their seats. Elsa's council sat to her right away from the door, while Gethro and Marge were to be shown to the side facing the door. When everyone was seated and comfortable, Elsa nodded to Kai, who nodded in response and opened the door, letting the elf and the troll in. They silently walked, following Kai as he led them to their seats.

Once they were seated, Elsa immediately spoke. "I would like to apologize for my unexcused departure yesterday" she began.

"Sure thing" said Jethro casually. Elsa noticed how he did not seem put of or even insulted by her behavior yesterday, which made her feel a little more comfortable.

"Well I mean it was kind of... ow!" said Marge, Jethro kicking her in the leg again before she could finish her sentence. "What?!"

"In addition to my brother-in-law, Kristoff" she nodded to Kristoff, who waved. "I would like to introduce Grand Pabbie, who I've mentioned yesterday. Pabbie is the leader of the troll clan who lives just East of here."

"Good morning" greeted Pabbie, while Boulda just nodded excitingly. Jethro and Marge likewise give brief greetings. "Her Majesty tells me you are messengers from the Lands North. Is that right?" he asks.

"The one and only" says Jethro.

"Are there other colonies nearby?" asked Marge.

Pabbie shook his head. "We lost contact with a village North of here just before my birth. We have been isolated for almost a hundred years now."

Marge remained silent for a moment, realization hitting her. "Then, you haven't received word from your homeland in almost a millennia?" Pabbie shook his head. "The prophecy, the reemergence of the dragons, and the Lights. They all came to our knowledge maybe four hundred years ago, maybe more."

"I was filled in on the prophecy" Pabbie spoke. "And the lights I have seen for myself. I have been granted visions, visions of the Lights, and the dragons, and my Queen, my family. As of yet I have not been given their meaning, so you will understand my urgency. What is happening to the lights?"

Jethro looked at Marge and shrugged. Marge did likewise, neither able to give an answer. "All we know about the behavior of the Lights comes from the prophecy, that 'they will meet', and on her 28th year" he said, referring to Elsa. "We know so little. That is why her Majesty must come with us."

"What?!" asked Anna.

"We need to bring her to the Lands North. You know, travel, movement of a person from one location to another..."

"I know that!" retorted Anna. "And I think you're out of your mind!"

"You can't just come here, unannounced, and ask her majesty to go to some foreign, untamed land with unknown dangers" said Andar. "Are you mad?"

"Of course I'm not mad!" defended Jethro. "All I am doing is stating what needs to be stated. Don't get angry at the messenger."

"Then who are you speaking for?" asked Jase, leaning forward.

"I speak for my people, and the trolls" he gestured to Marge. His tone was loosing his causal tone, turning more serious, and desperate. "...and the humans and what's left of the dragons who live in the Lands North."

The was a quiet in the room. Jase leaned back, while Anna just bore a glare at the elf. Jethro then looked to Elsa, a serious mood overcoming his voice. "We just got our home back, your majesty. After centuries of exile, we are now back where our ancestors thrived and our culture originated. It is our homeland, and in this world which now belongs to man, it is our only home left. An evil has now taken hold of it, an evil we can't identify and very well can't name. Our one hope, this prophecy, is all we have left. And we believe you to be our hope, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I believe you to be the Snow Queen who will finally save our home, and let our people live in peace."

He paused for a moment, allowing what he said to sink in. "Well, that's our message" he said matter of factly, almost disappointed. "I wish I can offer you more, but that's it."

Elsa gave this thought. She turned to her right, seeing that Pabbie was likewise deep in thought. The room remained silent, awaiting the Queen's decision. Finally, after some time, she rose. "I thank you for coming all this way just to speak with me. I will take your message to heart and meet with my council. If you will be patient, I will give you my answer by tomorrow morning." Jethro and Marge glanced at each other. Jethro seemed hopeful, while Marge seemed bitter. "In the meantime, you are free to roam the public places within the gates, provided you are with an escort of course."

Jethro nodded, followed by Marge. Kai walked up to them. They stood, bowed slightly, then left with Kai. As soon as the door closed, Jase was quick to assert his opinion.

"Please tell me you are not considering this, are you?"

Elsa sighed. "I can't very well avoid it, can I?"

"But look at what they are proposing" said Andar. "These two are strangers to us, and they want you to go to some God-forsaken land, thousands of miles away? I wouldn't even consider this."

"But what about Elsa's vision" said Anna. "You think that was just a coincidence?"

"We still don't know if those two didn't cast a spell on her majesty, let alone if they're just making all this up."

"Visions cannot be faked" interjected Pabbie. He spoke softly. "Not unless the person wills it upon herself."

"And the prophecy?" asked Anna. "What about that?"

"The prophecy, if what they say is true, predates any contact my people had with the North. I cannot confirm that. The Lights however are telling a different story."

"Could it just be nothing?" asked Kristoff. "Could it be something natural, like the tides or something?"

"It might well be natural. But don't think that because its natural doesn't mean its heralding something. The magical world is not as subtle as the tides Kristoff."

"So what does this, what does any of this mean?" asked Anna. "We can't just, expect Elsa to go to some far away land."

At this point, Elsa had tuned out much of what was being said. All she could think about was her vision. The dark figure plagued her mind, and the swirling magic she still can't explain or recognize continued to buzz in her head. Then there was Joan's voice. Why wasn't Joan showing herself to her, to clear all this up?

For a year now, Klydrun's dramatic escape and warning remained in the pack of her mind. He spoke of a prophecy. He had been to the North. He had friends in the North, most notably a fire breathing dragon. Somehow, she knew that there was something brewing up there, and it was trying to get at her. Now, it seems to have finally come to back to Arendelle.

"It wouldn't be the first time" Elsa finally said. Once she spoke, the room became quiet, as she had gotten their attention. She looked up. "As soon as I was given this crown, things have been happening. Secrets have been revealed, dark secrets, all taking aim at Arendelle. Dark magic, ambitious men, refuges and imprisoned princesses even. I can't help but feel these have all been leading to something." Elsa sighed. Her head was spinning with notions of prophecies, coincidences, and cloaked figures. She stood up. "I have taken everything into account. Right now, I need to think. If you need me, I'll be in my study." Then, without another word, she left, leaving her council alone to themselves.

* * *

Elsa had been alone for over an hour now, scouring her father's book, the one given to him by Lars. What she could find in it were facts she already knew; facts about the trolls, the Ice King, the Dark Mirror, and other smaller, useless information. Still, she read anyway, hoping to have missed something.

Never before had she wanted to know more about the Lands North, and more importantly its people. Pabbie had no knowledge of it being reclaimed, and though Lars, Wesley, and the crew of the Red Dragon had been there, they did not come into contact with any people, leaving her to assume, along with Pabbie, that it was abandoned.

Then Klydrun changed all that. He revealed that the Lands North was once again colonized. So much revelation in one year, and now she had received a personal message from them that they seek her help. It was a lot to take in.

There was a knock on her door.

"Come in" she said, closing the book with a loud thud and dropping it on her desk. She saw Jase enter.

"Hey. Have enough time to think?" he asked.

"Too much" she said disappointed. She sat down at her desk and plopped her head on the table with a loud thud.

"Hey, watch it. You're going to give yourself a concussion."

"Oh please, my head has been hit harder before, and my memory's never been better" she said, talking into the wood of her desk. Jase went over to her side. She leaned back, rubbing her temples.

"Elsa, are you seriously considering helping them? I mean, we know literally nothing about them or where they're from. Even Grand Pabbie can't positively confirm their intentions, or the dangers involved."

"But he recognizes that something is wrong. We know that the North had been colonized."

"From a psychopathic elf" he reminded her. "Elsa, this is insane. Why don't you we send a party first to confirm their story."

"And how long is that going to take? You heard Pabbie, the Northern Lights are stirring. What if time is an issue?"

"What does that even mean? The Lights 'meeting'? This just sounds like made up, prophecy and legend nonsense" he said. He crossed his arms, resound in his position.

Elsa took that in. A thought crossed her mind as she looked back to Jase. "Do you remember how we first met?"

"Pardon?" he asked, feeling this to be off topic.

"How we met? Remember?"

Jase thought back. He smiled at the memory. "Oh yeah. As I recall, I first knew you as 'Elizabeth'."

Elsa held back a laugh. "I meant that more broadly!"

"Oh, OK" he said. "Let's see, I came to you because..." he stopped, realizing where she was going with this. "Oh come on, that was completely different!"

"Oh really?" she retorted playfully. "Here you were, a stranger, claiming to be a knight from a place that couldn't be confirmed, telling me that I was the target of Hans for my ability to free a legendary evil."

"For your information, I did not insist you come."

"No, but I ended up going anyway, trusting only you."

"OK, to be fare, it was Hans that forced your hand when he kidnapped Anna."

Elsa nodded with a smirk. "Mhmm. Well, look where that lead me."

Jase couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, well, life's funny like that, isn't it?"

Elsa smiled, looking back down at her desk. Then she frowned. "This is a little different, isn't it though?"

Jase nodded. "Very."

"On the one hand, this could be an elaborate trap set up by whoever freed Klydrun."

"A very possible scenario, yes."

"But, on the other hand, there are people up there, a people who were looking for a home, and I am the only one who can help them."

Jase sighed. "Elsa..."

"I can't help it Jase. And then there's the vision. You were in it. You were in a battle."

"That could be anything."

"Jethro was at your side."

"Well... you know technically that could still literally mean anything, right?"

"Ugh, I know!" she groaned, covering her face in her palms. She leaned forward, hitting her head on the table again.

"Would you stop that?" he asked. Raised by a physician, he was familiar with his mother's constant warnings of brain injuries, and apparently it had rubbed of on him.

Elsa leaned back up, shaking her head. "I don't know what to do Jase."

"What does your gut tell you?" he asks.

Elsa looked at him. She remained quiet for a minute, pondering her words. "Based on my previous decisions, what do you think I would do?"

Jase bit his lip. "You would help them. Like you did in Kalamar, and then Berglia."

Elsa turned back to her desk, letting out a long sigh. "My gut is telling me to help them. My mind, assuming I'm still sane, agrees with it. What would you do?"

Jase thought this through carefully before answering. "Logically, you have no reason to trust these people. Berglia was a long established kingdom, so you could trust them more easily, and with Kalamar, well, you had no choice, Anna was in danger."

"But if there really is something going on, and like the prophecy says it will affect the world, can I really just sit here based on caution?"

Jase turned, facing the door, and in turn the hallway window. It was well past noon now, approximately early two o'clock now. He then looked back to her. "Elsa, we can keep going back a forth on this. Just know that, well, I'm against this." Elsa frowned at that. "But, whatever you choose, know this; I will back you up, all the way. No matter what, I will never leave your side."

Elsa smiled. "I love you."

"I love you to" he said. He then walked over, knelt down to her level, and gave her a kiss.

* * *

Jase left to check in on their guests, making sure that nothing fishy was going on. Now late evening, within the twilight hours, Elsa went to the balcony to get some fresh air. She looked out over her kingdom. This was the land she was destined to protect and govern from birth. At times, she doubted her ability to rule. Even with a council aiding her in the process, the concept of ruling a nation seemed daunting to her. Now, seven years following her coronation and having survived many fiascos, she was now comfortable with the idea that she was Arenelle's leader.

She looked to the North. The North Mountain caught her eye. It seemed so long ago when she ran up there, hoping to flee the world. She wish she had the time to just go up there and think in the cold thin air, in the comforts of her own ice palace. She could sure use that right now. She looked on past it, wondering what was up north, waiting for her.

"Elsa?"

Elsa turned, seeing Anna standing by the doorway.

"Anna."

"Hey. I just put Matty to bed and I thought, well, you'd probably want some company."

"Well, I could use the company."

Anna walked forward, meeting Elsa at the stone railing. "So, crazy few days, huh?"

Elsa nodded. "Let's see, the day before yesterday, we were discussing how outrageous it was for Jase and I to discuss a wedding before the actual proposal."

"Which I'm done with yet" Anna promised.

"And now, well..."

"A lot more than yesterday."

Elsa nodded. "Does it seem like every few years something just, comes up?"

"Nothing outside the usual, for us anyway."

Elsa smiled. "Anna, what would you do?"

Anna stopped talking for a few moments. "The old Anna would just jump at it and say 'sign me up!' The new, more mature and logical Anna, however, would defiantly give this more thought."

"I'm glad to hear that" Elsa jested.

"Hey, I've been really responsible lately! Do you realize how much focus it takes to raise a hyperactive four year old?"

Elsa laughed. "I'm just kidding, you're very responsible."

"Thank you! Now, back to crazy scenario number thirty seven..." Anna remained quiet for a few moments. She shrugged. "I don't know. You know, I feel like we just don't have enough information to make a decision."

"Exactly" said Elsa. "It's like a guess right now."

"Well, minus the vision. Though I guess that's more feel than logic, isn't it?"

"And, there's that" Elsa said as if disappointed.

"Well, what are you leaning too?"

Elsa looked at Anna seriously. "I'm really hesitant to do anything" she said, almost reluctantly.

Anna just nodded. "And, your reason for this?"

Elsa looked back over the city. She waved her hands slightly. "I guess, because it just seems so crazy. I mean, how many rulers do you know just go off into he wilderness, fighting other people's battles?"

"Besides you, none. Then again, you aren't most rulers."

Elsa held out her hand, letting a few flurries of magic and snowflakes spring forth. "That's true. But still, I can't just be expected to run off whenever I feel like it. The people expect a solid, present ruler. This could take months if I agree, considering how far away this place is. This would be way longer than any other problem we've faced."

Anna thought for a moment. "Still, it's not like it's _not_ your battle."

Elsa looked to Anna quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Well think about it. We're all connected in this world. What happens to one affects all of us. I mean, look at what might have happened if you hadn't acted all those times. You help people Elsa. You may be a queen, born of royal blood and meant to sit around all day, barking out orders and living the life of luxury" Anna said in a mocking tone, making Elsa laugh. "But what you've got over everyone else is that you help people, personally. At the end of the day, countries can manage without a ruler for a little while. But when there's a call to action, you _need_ to act. To do anything else just wouldn't be you."

Elsa pondered Anna's words. True, she wasn't most rulers. And in every instance she left, minus the first time, it was proven justified. Each time, Arendelle, and many other kingdoms, would have faltered if she didn't act."

"You make a good point Anna" Elsa finally said. "Really. People underestimate you, but you've got a lot of substance underneath that chatty exterior."

Anna stood up straight. "And you doubted that?" she asked playfully.

"Considering you snore like Sven, it's a real surprise."

"I don't snore!" Anna said, giving Elsa a playful slap on the shoulder. Both sisters laughed amongst themselves for a little while, enjoying the evening a the sun finally set.

Then the air was filled with an ear shattering, reptilian roar.

Both sisters froze. "What, was that?" asked Anna. They both looked around, searching the land and air for the source of the roar. Suddenly, the sound of wings flapping in the air hit their ears. Without warning, a forceful gust of wind came upon them as a massive dragon flew low over head. Both sisters ducked as it came over, flying over to the city. To their horror, another roar filled the air, then another and another.

The roars of several dragons calling to each other echoed over Arendelle.

Then there was fire.

* * *

 **Oh boy! Who's ready for some violence and action?! Get ready, because now this story starts picking up, big time! This is the point of no return people!**

 **Prepare yourselves!**

 **Please review!**

 **-Batman**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

I See Fire

 **Note: Given the complexities of the this battle sequence coming up, I highly recommend looking up a picture of the Arendelle castle before reading this. Particularly the one showing that perimeter wall going up into the mountains. I'm assuming the side facing away from the city is south, just to give a sense of direction.**

* * *

In his dungeon cell, Lionel was finishing a game of chess with his night guard, Fredrick. They sat at a table set up inside his cell just for this occasion. Lionel, still a prisoner until he had served his debt, bore two shackles on his hands. Blue crystals were welded in, ensuring that he couldn't use his powers to escape. For this game, however, the shackles were unchained, allowing free movement of this hands. He was in deep contemplation, figuring out his next move. He went for his black queenpiece, but recoiled his hand upon a second thought.

"Oh come on!" complained Fredrik. "Move already!"

"Patience" said Lionel, not moving his eyes from the board as he raised his palm to calm his friend down. He went for his pawn, but once again reclined to move. Fred sighed exasperatingly.

Then there was a faint, unearthly roar, coming from the barred windows out in the hallway.

"Did you hear that?" asked Fred, turning around to the door.

"Don't distract me" said Lionel. He eyed his knight, and found his move.

Then, another roar. "There it is again" said Fred. He stood up, taking his keys off his belt, wondering if he should go check it out.

"Stop interrupting me" said Lionel. He went for his knight, moving three squares up, and two to the right, when the whole ground shook. Lionel froze as all the pieces shook and fell down, some rolling off the table. There was the sound a muffled explosion outside. The ground shook with such force that Fred, who was in mid stride, lost his footing and stumbled forward. He lost grip of the keys and they went flying though the air. He caught his footing, however, and stopped himself against the wall.

"What the heck was that?!" said Lionel, jolting up from sitting position.

"See! I knew I wasn't crazy!" said Fred. Again, another sound of an explosion came from outside, followed by the ground shaking. Thinking he had imagined it, Fredrick could have sworn he felt a wave of heat from outside. Lionel, having a special sense for fire, felt it even stronger. Now he stood up with concern written on his face.

"Holy heck! I gotta check that out!" said Fred.

"Um, tell me what you see when you get out there, alright?" asked Lionel. Fred went to open the door, which could only be opened, both inside and out, by a key. He looked on the ground, looking for the key where he dropped it. "Where's the keys?" he asked, frantically searching for it on the floor. Lionel joined in the search, scouring the floor and under the table for it. Fred, baffled, dared to look just outside the cell door through the bars. To his horror, he realized that the keys had slid under the door outside into the hallway, just out of reach.

"Did you find them?" asked Lionel, still looking down.

"Well... yes and no" said a disappointed Fred. Lionel saw where he was looking and likewise looked out the cell window. There on the floor, out of reach of either of them, were the keys.

They were locked in. Outside, another dragon roared, followed by another. Both men remained staring at the keys, utterly useless, as no other guards were in the dungeons, and there were not likely to be any in this time of crisis.

"Crud" said Fred.

* * *

In the moonlit skies over Arendelle, five dragons circled the castle, flying up and down, surveying the landscape. They would roar on occasion, alerting each other of their position. One of the dragons, the one named Skouch, sent by the Master, came crashing down on the roof of the highest tower along the cites perimeter wall along the steep hillside overlooking the city. His claws crashed down hard on the roof, splintering wood and tossing shingles to the ground below. The tower groaned and creaked under the weight, but managed to hold. He folded his wings up over his back, content with his vantage point over the kingdom.

Skouch was a dragon with grey to purple scales. On his nose was a single horn pointed on a forward slope. A horn on his chin pointed backwards, lining up with the one on his nose. A half ray of small, thin spikes came out just behind each of his eyes. He looked at the castle as guards carrying torches came running out along the top of the walls. He knew they would not have ever faced opponents such as he and his dragon followers before. Even if they were trained to fight them, a dragon was no easy opponent. Their imposing size, hard scales and the ability to fly and breath fire made dragons one of the deadliest creatures on the planet. His only concern was the powerful Snow Queen: his target.

Skouch roared once in a singular, almost bark like shout, summoning his dragons. The four other dragons flew around him in a tight circle, flapping on occasion to keep in the air.

"Keep the attack to the north. Avoid the cannons along the south and west walls " he said in a roaring, somewhat high pitched voice. As with most dragons, his voice echoed in his deep throat, resonating through his esophagus. He gripped the edge of the tower with his left clawed wing for balance "Burn the castle first to draw her out. Remember, capture the Snow Queen _alive_! Kill anyone in your way, especially any elf or troll." He breathed in, the roared out "Go, now!"

With that, the dragons spun around, flapping their large wings to gain speed as they flew towards the castle. They flew up, gaining altitude before taking turns to plunge down. The first dragon's mouth glowed red, getting ready to unleash his fire. It flew down over the city, then over the bridge to the castle, and unleashed a stream of hot fire against the stone wall. Under the roofed walls, the guards ducked, but were unable to avoid the fire altogether. Some of them already on fire, they jumped out over the wall and into the fjord's below.

It was such a small amount of time between the dragons' arrival and the intial attack that only a few guards actually made it to the courtyard. A few lit their torches and made it up to the north wall, just as the second dragon blasted the walkway atop the wall with fire. The wooden roof provided little protection from the flames as it immediately erupted into a roaring fire.

"Water!" one of the guards shouted. "We need water!"

In all the commotion, it was hard for Captain Dodgson to not realize the emergency. He ran out, seeing for himself a dragon fly overhead, letting out another stream of fire along the length of the south wall through the water. Some guards were caught in it, while a few just made it out of the way, jumping out on either side into the fjord.

"Raise the alarm!" shouted Dodgson. "I want every man up and ready for battle!" He looked to a passing guard, one of his lieutenants. "Get me my archers!" he ordered. "And get more torches! Light up the night! Let's move!"

Up on the balcony, Elsa watched in horror as the dragons laid siege to her castle. To her partial relief, they were leaving the city more or less alone, save for their leader perched on a tall building. There was a full moon out, thankfully, so they could see more or less the large silhouettes flying in the sky, taking turns as they dove through the courtyard. Seeing one of the beasts fly close to the balcony, Elsa grabbed her sister and pulled her down onto their knees just as it flew by. The dragon didn't see them, but the wind generated by its wings nearly knocked them over.

"Those are dragons!" Anna shouted in shock.

"No really!" said Elsa. She rolled over and got back up, seeing the guards below attempt to defend the castle.

"Matthew!" Anna screamed in realization that Matthew was asleep in his bed. Any room with a window was now a danger zone, and Matthews room had two. She turned to leave, but not before Elsa grabbed her arm.

"Anna, wake the servants. Get them away from the windows." She took a breath to think. "Get them into the painting room. They're no windows there. Go!"

"What about you?"

Elsa looked down over the balcony, seeing the flames engulf the walls. "I'll put the fires out. Maybe I can take a few out, I don't know. Just go! I'll be fine!"

Anna turned, obeying her sister, but stopped. She turned back one more time and gave her sister a quick hug. "Don't get hurt!"

"I won't" she said. Anna let go, and went for her baby. Elsa looked back over the balcony. With only a moment's hesitation, she leapt over the edge onto the sloping roof. Her feet shot out magic instantly, freezing the roof. She slid down to the edge, where she formed more ice to continue the slope to the courtyard below. She held on hand against he ice below to keep her steady, while the other she held out for balance. She continued this slowed descent until she hit the ground below. She stumbled a bit when she finally hit the hard cobblestone below, but found her balance and came to a stop. Almost immediately, she saw a guard trying to put out a fire on his arm. She didn't hesitate to shoot a blast of flurries on it, putting out. He gasped in relief.

"You're majesty" he gestured quickly, too shaken to make a proper salute. Elsa simply nodded, seeing another man completely engulfed in flame. She shot out more magic, putting him out. He continued to run a few more feet before he realized the fire had been put out. He checked his singed clothing for injury. Luckily, since the flame had just caught onto him, only the exterior clothing caught fire, though his hair and eyebrows were singed. Seeing the north wall on fire, Elsa shot out a stream of ice magic, coating the roof in ice to put it out.

"Elsa!"

Elsa turned around, seeing Jase run at her. "What are you doing here?!" he asked, grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm helping" she said back.

"Are you nuts?! It's dangerous!"

"I can take care of myself, you know that!" she said before waving her hands up, sending a wave of ice magic up onto a spot she missed on the wall.

Jase just shook his head. "Fine, just, stay low, and out of the open."

Jase glanced over her shoulders, catching sight of the elf and his companion as they came out of the castle doors. They were searching frantically the night sky, not believing what they were seeing. Just then, dragon took a pass. Instead of fire, this one reached out with one of its hind legs, crushing the wooden tower roof on the southeast corner with its talons. Wood came splintering down outside the walls and into the ocean. They stood still near the two fountains in the center of the courtyard.

All around them, isolated fires scattered the courtyard. Burning ashes began ascending into the night sky as Elsa tried her best to counteract the fire with her magic, putting out as many as she could. But with the passing of each monstrous reptile, more and more of the castle went aflame. She kept most of her efforts on the castle itself, forced to let smaller fires rage on.

Guards turned soldiers were falling prey to the dragon's relentless fire. A normally peaceful nation, Arendelle never had the need for that many guards. Only a third were present this night, while the others were off shift, mostly with their families in town. With only about fifty men who were battle ready, they tried their best to defend themselves. Many were already injured, being dragged to safety by both their fellow guardsmen or servants who came out to help.

"They're here" he said, not taking his eyes off the sky. "What are they doing _here_ , this far south, in the world of men?"

"I wonder!" said Jase rhetorically, marching up to the elf. Jethro and Marge now faced the angry knight. "You brought them here!" he shouted accusingly.

"What?!" said Marge. "Are you serious? You think _we_ invited them?"

"An elf shows up and the next day dragons appear. Forgive me if that looks like a trend!"

"Hey, they're not here for me, alright?" said Jethro. "They're here for the same reason we are."

"They are not here for _her_!" Jase shouted, knowing full well who he was referring to. "She is not who you think she is!"

"Jase!" Elsa shouted, smacking him in the chest and standing between him and Jethro. "It doesn't matter why they're here, alright! What we need to do is to stop them!"

"Then let us help" spoke up Jethro. Elsa looked back. She hesitated, these recent events stirring her imagination about the elf just as much as Jase. Still, she had little choice at the moment.

"What can you do?" she finally asked.

"We've fought dragons back home. We know how to fight them.

Just then, another stream of fire shot out from the sky, hitting one of the smaller buildings bordering the outer wall. Elsa quickly shot out a beam of ice magic, freezing the fire and covering the building in frost. She found herself doing this more than thinking as of late.

She saw Captain Dodgson passing by. She waved at him. "Captain, come here!" she commanded. Abandoning his previous task, he stopped and rushed over. Elsa then turned back to Jethro. "Jethro, how can we defend ourselves?"

"Okay, let's see... Dragons are covered in thick, arrow proof armor, except for a thin patch of skin just behind their front arms, right over some vital organs. Eyes and inside the mouth are obvious targets. But at full speed it's almost impossible to get an arrow to penetrate, unless you have spear catapults or something?"

"We don't have those" said Elsa.

"We have cannons" said Dodgson. "But they're on the wall facing the fjord. The dragons are avoiding that area."

"They defiantly had time to scout beforehand" said Jethro.

"What about the cannons on the ships?" asked Jase.

"If we can get to them" said Dodgson. "But that would mean going out over the bridge, making us vulnerable."

"The best way to take them is when they are on the ground" said Jethro. "A downed dragon is vulnerable, especially if it's outnumbered."

"Well, how do we get them out of the sky?" asked Dodgson.

Just then, another dragon dove in. It reared its head back, then let out a stream of flame. Instead of the wall, this one came into full contact with the front of the castle, just below the balcony overlooking the center of the courtyard, the one used for ceremonies and speeched. Windows shattered as the force of the flame crashed into the side, sending shards raining down on the cobblestone floor. Elsa heard screams inside. Without a thought, she shot up a wave of ice magic, coating the side of the castle in thick ice. Almost immediately, another dragon flew up, hovered for a few moments above them, then blasted the ice with fire, shattering it into several large pieces. Large chunks of ice came falling down on them. Everyone cowered down to brace themselves. Elsa, at the last second, raised her hands, dissolving the falling ice into harmless flurries just before it hit them.

The danger gone, Elsa got back, up with Jase by her side. Another dragon roared in the night sky. She felt the castle shake just as another dragon fired at the castle from around back. Most of the castle was stone, but wood lined much of the walls, making is vulnerable to fire. Elsa knew that they had to act fast.

"Jethro, you said you've fought them before?" Elsa asked.

Jethro was helping up Marge, but he heard. "Yeah."

"Then you have my permission to pick a weapon. Ground one if you can, but I would prefer it if you kill it before it hits the ground.

Jethro gave a nod, almost excitingly. "With pleasure, your majesty!" He said swiftly. He then pulled Marge along, rushing to the stairs to the wall.

"Wait!" said Jase. "The weapons are that way!" Jase pointed to the left.

"I've got one coming!" he said in mid run. While in mid stride, he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled a two note tune, as if calling a dog. He then continued up the wall with a running gait, Marge doing her best to come up behind him.

"Slow down will you?" she asked, struggling to keep up.

"Can't wait! I see one coming now!" he said. He made it to the top of the north wall rather quickly. Making it to the top, he walked down a wooden hallway, exiting to the covered area where archers got ready to fire at the next dragon. He ran to the north west corner of the wall, not stopping as he ran up the stairs to the northwest tower.

Now up on the open balcony of the tower, more archers stood along the edge. He ran around to the furthest edge of the tower. Isaac, Jase's best friend and the only other knight in Arendelle, was getting his bow ready. Unbeknownst to most, he was a superb shot with his bow, and thus took the lead of this small band of guards. He just placed the next arrow into its knock when Jethro ran up to his side.

"What the heck?" he asked, seeing the elf next to him.

"Queen's orders" said Jethro as he leapt up onto the edge of the wall, just as the next passing dragon came into sight as it flew down along the perimeter wall.

"Are you insane?" asked Isaac.

"What's he doing?" asked one of the archers.

By then, Marge had just finished catching up. She was out of breathe. "Oh no, not this again!"

"Like you have any better solutions" said Jethro.

"Where's your sword?" she asked.

"Still coming" he said. He now extended his arm out straight, his hands open while waiting for something to land in it. Just then, the dragon roared, now almost upon them.

A quiet overtook the men as they waited to see what the elf would do. They held their weapons down. "Come on come on, where are you?" Jethro asked himself.

Soon, the dragon could now clearly be seen. It was a brownish dragon with hues of black along its body. It's short, stocky head had only three large horns sticking out of its frill, the middle horn being the largest. A red glow emanated from its mouth as it readied to fire. The men held their breath, believing the elf to be committing suicide by dragon. Just then, Jethro saw what he was looking for; a faint gleam of metal, flying through the air at him, coming from the docks.

"There you are!" he said. He then immediately leapt into the night air at the flying dragon, achieving much more distance than a typical man. There was a faint hiss from the dragon's mouth as it drew its breathe. Then, out of the air, flying in from his boat on response to his whistle, a sword landed into his hand mid jump. He grabbed his short, curved sword in mid air. Then, heaving it up just before impact, he grabbed onto one of the three horns sticking out from the dragon's head while simultaneously swinging his sword hard onto its armored head. With a clang, the sword hit the head. It did not cause serious damage, but enough for the dragon to retract its flame. It roared briefly in irritance. It then flew on away from the castle. Jethro hung on while the dragon tried to free itself of its unwelcome passenger.

"He is insane" said Isaac in disbelief.

"That's one word for it" said Marge.

* * *

Anna had her hands full with maintaining order in the castle. Trying to keep everyone calm while dragons were attacking outside was hard enough as it was. That, and despite Elsa's best efforts, dragons fire managed to keep getting inside. Kristoff led a group of men around with buckets of water and damp rags, trying to keep the fires inside subdued. So far, they have managed to suppress the flames before they grew out of control. It seemed that for every fire they put out, however, the dragons managed to start new ones, keeping Kristoff and his crew on their toes.

Anna, on the other hand, set up a "safe station", as she called it, in the painting room, where portraits like Joan of Arc adorned the walls. This windowless room gave at least some protection from the dangers outside. Not only did Anna manage to get all the maids and older servants out of harms way, but also a place for the wounded to be taken in from the battle outside. She spent most of her time outside in the hallway, directing traffic and escorting wounded in.

She was currently seeing over a man who was carried in by his friend who had broken a leg. The man limped with a painful groan while his friend held his left arm over his shoulder for support.

"How's it going out there?" she asked anxiously, having received little word from the battle.

"We're holding them off, but they refuse to take a hit" said the friend as he pulled his friend into the room. "Your sister is fine. Martin here would be dead if it weren't for her."

"Oh wow. Um, thanks" Anna said as the two went into the room.

"Momma" said Matthew, who had been glued to her side the whole time, following her around like a shadow. He pulled at her skirt. "I'm scared."

"Oh, sweetie" Anna said in a soothing voice to cover her own fear. She knelt down to his level, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be afraid. We're safe in here."

Matthew looked at his mother, slightly calmer. "Wh-where's Pap-pa, a-a-and Auntie E-Elsa?" he said, more stutter than usual given the situation.

"Daddy's helping Kai putting a fire out, and Auntie Elsa is outside... uh, doing queen stuff" she said, not wanting to imagine the horrors her sister was witnessing.

"Like wh-what?" he asked.

"Um... you know. Making stuff with ice and, stuff. Don't worry. Everything's fine."

She heard running from down the hall. She stood up to see Kristoff come with Kai and the others by his side. They were covered in black ashes. Their eyes were red and they coughed on occasion, having been battling smoke as well as fire. Alongside them was Sven, carrying a harness on his back with empty buckets and rags hanging from it. Olaf waddled around his feet, likewise having black scorch marks on his snow skin. His flurry was working overtime from all the fire.

"Kristoff!" said Anna excitingly. She walked up and gave him a brief hug as he came to them.

"So. Much. Heat." said Olaf exasperatingly. "I've never seen so much of it It's madness! Why heat?! Whyyy?" he cried out dramatically. Sven just rolled his eyes.

"How's it going?" asked Anna, ignoring Olaf's dramatic show of disdain.

"It's just non-stop" said Kristoff. "They keep coming. Fire after fire. I heard that things weren't going well out there. They just can't kill any of those things."

"I know. Have you seen Elsa?"

"I haven't even been outside (coughs). I keep seeing her ice outside the windows though, so it could have been worse. The fires stopped for now, but I set up a watch to alert us if any more come."

"If only we can get one of those dragons out" said Anna.

"Have you seen Pabbie and Boulda?" he asked.

"Yeah. They're inside with the others. They're helping the wounded, but I'm trying to get Pabbie too rest. He's still tired from before."

Kristoff sighed, more out of exhaustion than anything. "He's fine" Kristoff said reassuringly. "One thing about trolls is that they can take a lot more punishment than people."

"Well, I hope so" said Anna.

She led Kristoff and the others, seeking refuge form the smoke, into the painting room, which had become a "safe room." Men were laid out on blankets on the floor. Some had burn marks, while others had more internal injuries such as bruised ribs or broken bones. The maids darted around the room, tending to injuries and carrying fresh bandages. Kristoff spotted Pabbie in the middle of the mess, using his magic to tend to a man with a bad burn to his side. He had his hands spread out over the wound, letting blue magic work into the wound. The fire had burned much of the shirt, but thanks to the troll magic, the flesh had been significantly restored, though the skin was still red and swollen in spots.

"Alright" said Pabbie. "That's all I can do, but the wound will heal nicely now."

"Thank you, uh..." said the wounded guard.

"Pabbie" he said. "Grand Pabbie, and your welcome."

"Next customer!" hollered Boulda, who had not left his side since the attack started. The maids helped in the man with the broken leg when Pabbie saw Kristoff.

"Kristoff!" said Pabbie. "What's going on outside."

"Um..." Kristoff began to speak, but saw that everyone else grew quiet to listen to him. Not wanting to spread panic and fear, he tried to lie. "Er, uh... great!" he said in a less than confident voice.

Pabbie just stared, his shoulders slouching. "That bad?"

Kristoff reluctantly nodded.

Everyone, hearing the news, simply remained quiet. They went on, continuing what they were doing in silence. Kristoff sighed in defeat.

"I hope they can defeat them soon" said Boulda.

"According to legend, dragons were not an easy foe" said Pabbie in disdain. He began working his magic so to speak of the man's broken leg. "Tough scales, hard heads, and their ability to breathe fire made them formidable."

"So, like, they have gas or something?" asked Olaf.

"Oh no. Dragons are magical beings, almost more so than trolls. All dragons have the ability to make magical fire deep in their throats. They just can't manipulate it like some people can."

"Oh, so you mean like..."

"Lionel!" screamed Anna. "Of course! He can help! Where is he?"

"I think he's still in the dungeons" said Kristoff. "Probably safer down there than we are up here."

"Well why should he get all the comforts of a prison cell!" said Anna. "I'll go get him!"

"Wait, isn't he a prisoner?" asked Olaf.

"Oh, this is an emergency! I'll give him time off for good behavior or something!" said Anna as she rushed out. "I'll be back!"

"Be careful!" shouted back Kristoff.

Anna left for some time after that. Fore some odd reason, the attacks slowed down, leaving a gap between outbreaks of fires. Matthews hung around him, too anxious to find sleep.

"Where is she?" he asked himself, referring to Anna. "It's been too long."

"Would you like me to go check on her" asked Kai.

"Yeah, yeah I think..." he was interrupted when the whole castle shook. A few women shrieked at the sudden jolt. A second later, the room returned to normal, though Kristoff heard cracking overhead. "Oh no" he muttered.

Then, he heard shouting form the hallways outside.

"Fire in the guest rooms upstairs!" shouted a man fro mdown the halls. A second later, he came running in. "They blasted the guest rooms above us to smitherines!" he shouted. "It's an inferno up there!"

Again, Kristoff heard cracking up above. The fire was just above them, over a room without columns for extra support.

"It's coming down" he said to himself. Then, he shouted out "We need to get everyone out of here!" he said. He went and grabbed his son. "Come on! Everyone out into the hallway, _NOW_!"

Immediately, the room broke into a frenzy of panic and fear. People grabbed the nearest patient and helped them out. The ones who could limped out, while others required a stretcher. By the door, Kai did his best to keep everyone in a straight line to prevent crowding, but in the chaos, found himself being pushed out. Kristoff was one of the first out with Matthew with Olaf and Sven next to him. He placed his son in the hallway, then stood up. There were still people inside, and he couldn't leave them.

"I'll be right back son, I promise" he reassured his son.

"Pap-Papa! W-w-wait!" Matthew cried, his fear making it difficult to speak. Kristoff could only give a worried look as he took off back inside. Matthew went to run after him, but Sven reached down and bit the collar of his shirt, pulling his nephew of sorts back away from the danger. Matthew cried incoherently, balling tears. Olaf went pulled him into a hug, trying to reassure him that everything will be alright.

Inside, Kristoff made sure that everyone helped, especially with the wounded. He went from patient to patient, making sure they were on their way out as fast as they could.

"Come on!" he said, barking orders. "As fast as you can! Leave everything behind!" Kristoff then heard more cracking overhead. A large crack formed on the ceiling, and dust and burning ashes came through it. All around, at least a dozen people were still in the room. Pabbie and Boulda were still in the room, rounding up the end of the crowd. Two of the wounded were on stretchers. Panic ensued, and the man carrying one of the stretcher tripped and fell, letting him, the patient, and his partner down. Kristoff rushed over and immediately tried to help them get up.

Pabbie wobbled out with Boulda up from behind, the humans rushing out much faster than they were. He looked up, seeing that the roof had maybe seconds left. He looked ahead, seeing his adopted grandson still helping out with the stretcher. He heard another loud crack. He looked up, seeing that to ceiling gave its last, and began to crumble apart on top of them.

Kristoff looked up, believing this to be the last thing he would see. He cowered down over the fallen patient, ready for the end.

But then, nothing.

He looked up again in surprise. He saw an aura of green magic encircling the entirety of the ceiling, keeping the fire and debris from coming down on top of them. Surpirised, he searched for the source of the magic. He saw Pabbie, his arms stretched up, keeping the ceiling intact with his magic, but with great strain. His frail arms were shaking from the tension. His eyes were closed shut in strain.

"Kristoff!" Pabbie called out with a strained voice. "RUN!"

Boulda was on the floor next to Pabbie. She got up, staying by Pabbie's side with a frightful expression on her face. She began panting, looking between her son and her father.

"Pabbie!" she said.

"Go with him!" he said, grunting under the stress. "I can't hold this much longer!"

Kristoff still had the last of the patients to get out. The two men carrying the stretcher quickly got up and ran out with the patient. At the doorway, Kristoff saw that the last of the people had finally gotten out. His job complete, he looked back to Pabbie. "Pabbie! Let's go!"

"You must leave me" said the old troll. "If I move, I'll loose my hold!"

"I'm not leaving you! Come on, we'll get you out!" said Kristoff, resolute in his decision. To clarify, he walked right up to Pabbie. Boulda likewise remained resolute in her decision, staying by his side.

Pabbie knew the love he had earned from his family was too great for them to leave just him. The long years he had spent carrying and sacrificing to protect and teach them made him rich indeed, far richer than the greatest king he thought. But now, that love would get them killed. He knew there was only two ways this would end; either he dies, or Boulda and Kristoff die with him.

Making his decision, he sighed. "I love you, all of you" he said. He then lowered his arms in one last, rapid movement. He now aimed his magic at his daughter and his grandson. He shot forward a wave of green magic at them. The magic caught hold of them and picked them up, carrying them out of the room at lightning fast speed towards the door. Neither could get a word in, given how quickly the troll's last action was carried out.

As Kristoff and Boulda were flung forcefully towards the open doors, Pabbie's magic holding the ceiling up dissipated. With the last of his strength, he finally pushed them out, and the ceiling, and all its rubble and fire and ashes came crashing down on him.

* * *

 **I realize you all want to do horrible things to me right now, mostly involving torture or outright death, but please hang in there.**

 **If you don't hate me enough to not leave a review, please leave me a review. Just let your feelings on this chapter pour out onto the review box.**

 **-Batman**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Turning Tables

 **Two chapters on two consecutive days! How? Because I'm Batman!**

* * *

"PABBIE!" screamed Kristoff into the fire. He was still on the floor from being thrown out alongside Boulda, now in the middle of the hallway. He reached out, ready to run back in there, but the ceiling had finally collapsed. He watched as Pabbie fell to his knees, having spent his last ounce of energy. He looked onto the doorway, seeing Kristoff and Boulda before him. He smiled briefly as the ruble, fire, and ashes consumed him from above.

Kristoff could only watch helplessly as the debri came down. The sound of fire and wood and stone hitting the ground was all he could hear now. A wave of hot air rushed out of the room, forcing him to cover his face with his elbow.

"No!" cried Boulda, seeing Pabbie's fate unfold.

Kristoff stood up now, not believing what he had just witnessed. He took a step towards the room, but was stopped by Kai and another male servant.

"No my lord!" said Kai as they pulled him back. "No, it's too late!"

Kristoff fought back briefly, but reality finally set in. The whole room was ablaze, dust, hot ash, and fire filled the air inside, leaving little room for the imagination. Knowing he wouldn't fight anymore, Kai and the other man let go, letting Kristoff stare into the fire.

"Pabbie?" he whimpered lightly. He struggled to come to terms with what just happened less than a minute ago. How Pabbie just threw him and Boulda out, saving themselves but sacrificing himself in the process. He was still in there, and there was nothing he could do about it. Matthew ran away from Sven and hugged his father's leg, crying softly into it. Kristoff patted his head, his own eyes watering up. He bent down, his eyes still fixed on the flames.

The fire started climbing out of the room, threatening to spread into the hallway while Kristoff waited. The hallway was crumbed full of people now, packed like a can of sardines. He knew they were all still in danger. He would have to mourn later.

"Everyone!" he called out half heartedly, still trying to fight back the grief. "To the ballroom! Come on! We can't stay here!" Almost immediately, the people began rushing out, slowly clearing the hallway, leaving Kristoff and Boulda at the end near the entrance of what was once the painting room. Through the crowd, he heard his name being called.

"Kristoff!"

He looked back. He saw Anna coming for him, fighting against traffic. In the chaos, he almost forgot that she had left to get Lionel.

"Anna" he said in relief. He stood there with Boulda, waiting for Anna to come to him.

"Kristoff, what happened?" she asked. She saw Kristoff with Matthew crying by his side. Seeing her, the boy ran up to her. She knelt down and picked him up, shooing him and rubbing his back out of inctinct. She knew something horrible had happened.

Kristoff went to explain what happened, but stopped when he saw Lionel and Fredrick come in behind her, having just fought through the crowd. An idea formed in his head.

"Lionel. Lionel!" he rushed forward. He grabbed the man by the arm and led him to the burning entrance of the painting room. "Lionel, he's still in there!" he said. "Put out the fire, fast! There's still a chance!"

Still confused on who he was talking about, Lionel waisted no time, seeing the extent of the flames inside. All he could see in his mind was a man burning alive within. He let that happen once. He couldn't let hat happen again. Immediately, he shot his hands forward. He focused on the flames, imagining them to stop. Slowly, but steadily, the flames vaporized in clouds of red magic.

"Who's in there?" Anna asked in panic.

"Pabbie!" said Boulda. She hung onto Anna's hand hopefully, seeing if Lionel could indeed stop the flames.

Lionel once said he wasn't nearly as strong as Elsa was with his magic. Back in Weselton, he was not able to put out the fire that claimed three lives, a fire he started. While in Arendelle's custody, however, he decided that that would never happen again. He asked the queen for practice in putting out flames, using brush fires to test his powers on. He became proficient at it, but never to the degree he hoped.

Still, it proved useful now as he concentrated on putting out sections rather than the whole thing at once. Flames were pulled up and out, shrinking into a spiral of flame and magic until they vanished. After almost thirty seconds, he pulled enough of the flame away for Kristoff and Kai to run in and begin moving logs out of the way. Anna left Matthew on Sven's back while she ran in with Boulda and began tearing though debris.

"Pabbie!" Kristoff and the others began calling out. They kept calling his name and pulling debri out of the way while Lionel continued clearing the flames. There was still some flames in the corners and in what was left in the room above. With the heat still emanating in the room, he wouldn't not stop until all the sources of ignition were quenched.

Then, Boulda heard a groan from under a pile of burnt wood. "Over here!" she called out. She dug in, the others joining in behind her. Pulling up charred wood and sooty bricks, they finally found him. He was covered in ash and dust. Part of his face was blackened by the fire, along with his right arm and leg. Trolls reacted differently to fire than humans, their stony skin turning black and brittle after prolonged exposure. Still, they were more resilient to it, and Pabbie might have recovered.

It was the massive support beam crushing his chest that had Boulda worried. With great strain, Kristoff and Kai pulled the wooden beam away, letting it fall down with a heavy thud nearby. Boulda immediately rushed to his side.

"Pabbie! Oh dear" she said after seeing his injuries. Much of his robes and clothing had burned away. The crystals adorning his necklace, the crystals that reflected a trolls spirit, flickered on and off, as if struggling to stay lit.

"We need to get him to help" she said. Kristoff went down to lift him, but Pabbie raised his hands for him to stop.

"No no" he said in a weak, croaky voice. He coughed hard, sounding like it hurt. He shook his head, looking up with squinted, weak eyes. "It's too late."

"Don't say that" said Kristoff." We can get you to help. I'll take you home. We can help you there."

Pabbie shook his head again. "Not enough time. I, I feel that it is my time." He coughed again as his crystals flickered again.

Everyone remained silent, staring sorrowfully at the dying old troll. Kristoff knew in his heart, a feeling fighting his irrationally optimistic mind, that Pabbie wouldn't be around much longer. He could see it in his cracked chest, and his heavy breathing. It was just the way he looked. He had hunted enough animals to know when a wound was fatal, based on how the animal carried on. He had seen it also in the passing of mountain men he knew in his old life. The signs were unmistakable.

"Boulda, my daughter" Pabbie said weakly. Boulda immediately grabbed his hand, holding it gently with both hands. "My child. Know that I have always loved you."

"Oh, I know that" she said, a sniffle escaping her.

"Tell the others not to mourn me" he said. "Tell them, I will be in a better place, and that we will meet again, in time."

Boulda nodded softly. She bowed her head and cried, refusing to let go. Then, Pabbie turned his eyes, not his head, to Kristoff.

Kristoff could see the weakness in his eyes, and the pain, and fear. All people, despite knowing what is on the other side, feared death. Not so much that they are leaving; it is what they are leaving behind that haunts their minds.

"Kristoff, I am proud to call you my grandson." he said, then coughed. "I thank you for making us your family."

Kristoff just smiled. "I wouldn't have chosen any other, even if I had my choice."

Then Pabbie looked to Anna. Her face was red, on the verge of breaking down, but she tried to stay strong for Pabbie. "Princess Anna, come here, please." Anne didn't hesitate to come over and kneel down by the dying troll's side. He reached up and picked up her hand in his own. "I owe you and your family so much. Your father before you allowed us to live in peace in your kingdom, just as you and your sister have (coughs)."

His speech became more slow, more soft, and most disconcerting, more distant. "I never had all the answers, or at least never the easy ones..." he paused, taking a deep breathe. "You and your sister have always been a rare gem in this world, I knew that. Your past trials have only proven your resilience as sisters (coughs). Take care foo your sister, Anna. She needs you. I feel in my heart that she will bring about a great change in this world. She may be powerful, but she wouldn't have made it this far without you, you know that."

He then leaned back, leaving Anna to briefly digest what he just said. He then took a hard breathe, then stared into the ceiling above. He shook his head slowly. "Death is not the end, remember that" he spoke softly, peacefully. "This life is fleeting, and temporary. What's to come" he nodded, "that is what the ultimate goal is. Remember that." He then closed his eyes, letting go of this pointless fight to prolong the inevitable. He took one last breathe, then breathed out. At that moment, his crystals around his neck lost their glow, becoming pale and lifeless.

Kristoff knew that his grandfather, the one who took him into his family, the one who helped his wife and sister-in-law on so many occasions, who held his clan together for over a century, was gone.

Boulda then let go, letting his body lay flat on the ground. She wept as his body underwent it's final transformation. Seconds later, when the last of Pabbie's spirit had left, his stony body grew stiff and rigid. Where before his rocky skin was livid and full of life, it grew hard and cold, like real stone. His mossy hare, as well as his eyes, mouth, and even his robes and necklace, turned to stone. Soon, his body became a statue of pure stone, forever freezing his body in this resting, peaceful form. For humans, and nearly every other leaving being in this world, it was called dust to dust. For trolls however, it was stone to stone.

Anna bent over and wept. She felt her son next to her, who as now sniffling. She hugged him and drew him in close. Kristoff held one hand on his wife's sholder, and the other on Boulda's shoulders, and the family shared a grieving hug. Olaf, for once, didn't feel like hugging as he just slumped down to his feet, gently patting an equally sorrowful Sven on his leg.

Meanwhile, the battle outside carried on. Knowing this, the family was forced to carry on with their duties. The dead would have to wait if they were to prevent more from joining them.

* * *

Jethro hung on for dear life as the dragon flew in a serpentine flight path over the city, trying to throw its unwelcome passenger. Jethro lost his footing earlier, now being pounded against the side of the dragons heard, bony head repeatedly.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Stop it! Ow" he said in grunts as the dragon thrashed its head about. It flew up and down, left and right, roaring in agitation as it tried to shake him off. Finally, Jethro found footing against a nook in the dragon's skull, stabilizing himself as he raised his sword up.

"OK, listen!" he shouted. "I don't want to kill you, but you're not leaving me much choice! Stand down!" he said. The dragon just roared, then swung its head down hard in one last effort to throw the elf. In it's mad fury, it failed to see the clock tower materialize in the darkness. With a resounding crash of bricks and wood and the loud clang of a bell, Jethro and the dragon crashed through the tower, sending bricks and stone in every direction.

Both he and the dragon were taken out of the sky and crashed to the ground below. The dragon slid down a street, tearing up cobblestone as its head plowed into the ground. It finally came to a stop when it crashed halfway into an empty store front. Jethro rolled and tumbled on the ground like tumbleweed until he finally came to a stop, landing on his side. Thanks to the angle of the dragons head in relation to the tower, Jethro managed to avoid major bodily damage, though he had some scrapes and bruises along his side.

He groaned, then got up slowly. His whole body ached from the fall. Thanks to his unique physiology, he managed to avoid any serious injury that would normally befall a man. Once he was up, He became aware of the townspeople nearby, coming out of their buildings after the dust had settled. He saw that some had begun walking over in curiosity.

Then, the shop crumbled as the dragon got back up, not a scratch on him. He shook the dust from his body, then swung its head around in a snake like motion, giving Jethro a deathly stare. It's snout was short Jethro thought, giving in a bulldog-like appearance. The dragon then hissed.

"Everyone get back!" he said, waving his hands back to further exemplify his point. The citizens didn't need to be told twice as the scurried away.

The dragon growled, then took a few steps down the street towards Jethro. Jehtro held his ground in the middle of the road, holding his hands down. He extended his right hand out. A moment later, his sword came flying back into his hand from where it had fallen. He held it backhand style, a rare and unorthodox way of handling such a weapon.

"I'm telling you again" he told the dragon as he held his sword in front of him. "Surrender!"

The dragon only roared again.

"I've killed other dragons before, you will be no different" he warned again. The dragon opened its mouth, a red glow growing in its throat with a hiss. "I'm tired of killing! Don't make me do this!" Jethro screamed desperately.

He knew by now that, like the other times he had tried, that diplomacy was not going to work.

He charged the beast. The dragon breathed its fire down at him. The elf leapt up, high enough to clear the fire and up onto the roof of a nearby shop. The dragon only followed him with its fire, setting the building on fire. Jethro continued to outrun the flame, jumping and running as he needed on the rooftops of the neighboring buildings. The dragon ceased his fire, then leaned up and slammed its front claws onto the side of the building, snapping at him with its jaws. Jethro, in a feat of acrobatics, leapt up over the dragon, clearing its head and landing on its back. The dragon swung its head around then snapped. Jethro leapt off onto the ground below. The dragon flapped its wings once, giving it a few seconds of airtime as it hovered away from the elf, landing almost fifty feet away, shaking the ground as it landed. Both combatants now held their ground. They circled each other slowly in a counterclockwise motion. The dragon gave of a long, low growl as they anticipated their next moves. They then stopped. The dragon slowly reared back its head. Jethro recognized the obvious move, and prepared himself accordingly.

Ten tense seconds later, the dragon struck, faster than a cobra, sending its head out at Jethro with its mouth wide. Jehtro held his ground, up until the last second. Then, in a single move, side stepped to the left, ducking down to his knees. The dragon's head zoomed past him, leaving his neck vulnerable. Jethro then swung his sword in a back handed motion, thrusting his sword up into the dragon's throat, right up through its head.

Upon impact, the dragon raised its head high up, giving an unnatural, painful grunt. It rose up, standing on its hind legs for a few moments, before falling backwards, crushing a wagon that was abandoned behind it. It kicked and spasmed once or twice, then went limb.

Jethro sighed in relief. After a few moments, he heard a few cheers behind him from the townspeople who were brave enough to stay and witness the spectacle.

One down, four more to go.

* * *

Not knowing the tragedy going on inside her own castle, Elsa continued to keep her castle from going up in flames. With each pass, the dragons fired again and again, relentless in their attacks. As quickly as she coated her castle in ice, the dragons would simply melt it with explosive flames.

The archers continued to fire, but just as Jethro said, it was almost impossible to hit one where it counted, let alone make an arrow stick. The men were running out of arrows, stamina, and man power as more and more men became wounded, or worse.

"We're not going anywhere like this" said Elsa to Jase, who had not left her side. "I need to get a clear shot at them."

"What, you mean, up on the wall?"

"I have no choice. We're losing with each pass. I have to stop this now."

Jase looked up at he walls. The North wall took most of the damage. The wooden roof was now a patchwork of burnt sections, holes, and ice. More and more wounded were carried away all around them. Reluctantly agreeing, he looked back at her, then nodded.

"Alright" he said. He unsheathed his sword, unsure if it was even useful at this time. "Follow me, and stay low."

Jase and Elsa walked swiftly up the staircase leading up to the top of the north wall. After meandering around the other men, who were darting up and down the stairs, they made it to the top of the northeast tower. Once there, Elsa ordered her men to stand down, arrows long ago proving useless. She walked to the edge, but passed standing on the ledge as Jethro had done earlier.

Then the next dragon came into sight. It flew down from the east, flying low over the city in their direction.

"OK, all on you now" said Jase, taking a step away from Elsa to give her space. "No pressure" he said smartly.

"Gee, thanks" said Elsa sarcastically.

Elsa looked out. The dragon came fast, gliding rapidly towards the castle. Elsa held her ground. She held out her left hand, letting magic grow in it. The dragon flapped again. It was now close enough to see clearly. This one was greenish in color, maybe blue in the dim light. It had two horns high up over its head, both slanting backwards. It roared once, then opened its mouth, a faint hissing sound coming from it.

The fire came out sooner then Elsa had expected it. It came at the tower in a straight stream of flame. Elsa reacted fast. She held out her left hand and shot out a beam of her ice magic. In the air away from the tower, the two forces met, each canceling the other out in the middle. Both opponents held their own as ice and fire clashed. The dragon then curved away from the tower, still holding its intense flame. Else followed it, up until the dragon was now moving away from the tower, curving its flight path away from the tower. Both opponents then stopped relented. The dragon flew away into the night.

"Another one!" shouted one of the men along the wall.

Elsa had barely any time to react when she caught sight of the second dragon, coming from the west this time. This one had a long snout, with a ridge of spikes along the mid-ridge of it's head. It had slightly longer wingtips than the others, and it was dark blue in color.

Elsa didn't wait this time as she swung her right hand at it, sending a wave of magic. The magic manifested as a gust of fierce, arctic air. The wind caught the dragon's wings before it could even think about firing, and it was sent spiraling out of control. It passed the castle harmlessly, crashing into the waters of the fjord.

"Here comes another one!" said Jase, pointing it out for Elsa. This one came in from the east. This dark green one lacked a frill of any sort, having only a large horn on its nose. This one was easily the largest of the bunch, as big as a two story building, maybe more.

Elsa was getting the hang of fighting these airborne enemies. More prepared this time, she waited until it got a little closer. Confidence building, she allowed herself to smile a small, confident smirk. The dragon opened its mouth, and Elsa took her shot. She fired a ball of pure ice magic at the animal, hitting it directly inside its open mouth, The beast closed its mouth on impact, widening its eyes in surprise. It then cringed, losing its areal stability as its wings lost their stamina. It opened its mouth to roar, but nothing came out. Instead, its whole body began to freeze over into pure ice. Weighed down, the dragon, now entirely made of ice, frozen in an arching pose, arched down and crashed into the steep hill overlooking the city near the perimeter wall. On impact, it shattered into hundreds of pieces of icy shards

At that, the men cheered, having finally gotten a dragon that night.

* * *

On his perch on the perimeter wall, Skouch had a clear view of the battle below. Simultaneously, two of his dragons, one by the elf, the other by the Snow Queen, were taken out. He had only two under his command left. Elsa had taken out a dragon within her first minute of having joined the fight, a scary thought. Any more passes at the castle would be suicide.

He roared out a single, bark-like roar. The last remaining dragons responded, flying up away from the castle into the night air, safely out of Elsa's range.

This is no good he thought. He had drawn out the Queen, but he lost two of his attackers. She was proving to be far more adept with her powers than he had thought. Normally, anyone with the gift couldn't simply hit a dragon an expect it to ice over. A dragon's own fire magic would protect it, even from a frozen heart. She was certainly living up to her name.

But his troops were vulnerable now. The only way to capture her now was to isolate her completely, away from any soldiers who would defend her. Alone, she could be out witted he thought, especially with his secret weapon. But how to get her alone.

He thought to spread out her forces, but how. The castle was small, and heavily fortified. They only had to concentrate their forces along the wall.

The city, however, was an easy target. A sly smile overcame the dragon's face. He looked out to his dragons, hovering over the city.

"Take the city!" he roared. "Burn it to the ground!"

* * *

Back at the castle, Skouch's command could easily be heard by those outside, including Elsa.

"No!" she shouted. She darted over to the edge of the balcony in alarm, watching as the two remaining dragons dove down at the city, spiraling around each other along the way. The city was defenseless, and all the soldiers were there at the castle. Her people would be sitting ducks.

Elsa shook her head, panic taking over. Visions of burning buildings and people consumed by flames filled her head, _her_ people.

The dragons were too far away for her to hit with any accuary. If only she could hit them with a broader attack...

She didn't even stop to think. In the five seconds since Skouch's order, Elsa had made a decision, an action she never thought she'd ever make willingly.

She waved her hands forward, summoning every once of winter power she had.

Starting from a single point just in front of her, an explosion of snow, wind, and ice sprung out, expanding in mass and area exponentially. Within seconds, the mass had grown to cover the front of the castle, and continued to grow. It then expanded out, swirling and swarming out of control towards the city. It engulfed the town, filling every space and alleyway with forceful winter winds and snow. It grew up, engulfing the dragons as well, effectively making flying impossible.

Elsa unleashed a full blown blizzard onto her city.

* * *

 **RIP Grand Pabbie. You're Yoda/Papa Smurf-like demeanor will never be forgotten.**

 **Sorry if I made some of you cry. While deaths make a story more realistic, Pabbie's death signifies the new angle this story will take. Having normally relied on him for help and knowledge, our heroes will now be forced to seek such help from other sources now, which will introduce even more interesting and wonderful characters. Easily one of my favorite characters, I will miss Pabbie.**

 **What on earth made me believe that I could contain this battle sequence into one measly chapter?! I think I can finish this up and get to the final climax before the end of the next chapter, but for it to be three chapters long is insane! I have never expanded a scene into so much detail and chapters with so many words before!**

 **I now wish I had the skill I do now when writing all my previous stories, as I now feel I can make them ten times better. That, and that "Fiction Writing for Dummies" book really gets you to think about your story in such a way to give it more detail and meaning. Again, highly recommend this book to anyone who writes.**

 **With this next upcoming chapter (hopefully), the story will enter it's next stage, taking on a whole new angle that I have never taken before in any of my other stories... Man this is going to be a long story!**

 **See you later!**

 **-Batman**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Taken

* * *

Seven years ago, after thawing Arendelle from her winter, Elsa swore to herself never to put her people through that again. It wasn't that she wouldn't let winter come over Arendelle again, it being a natural season and all. She did keep it from being harsh though, which the farmers really appreciated. What she was adamant about was making sure a spontaneous winter never just came out of nowhere, catching the people off guard.

In the span of two seconds, though, she was forced between letting her people freeze by her own abilities or burn from dragon fire. She chose the former.

Now a massive, circular blizzard blew around the city in a cirlce. From the sky, it looked like a dome of clouds and snow, with winds churning it up like an upside down mixing bowl. Though the castle itself was technically outside, the winds and snow still managed to fill its courtyard.

Now, all Elsa could do was stare at her creation. She began breathing hard, her heart rate accelerating in panic. She shook her head. "What have I done?" she asked herself. "What have I done?!"

Jase, seeing her dismay, immediately ran to her side, grabbing her gently, yet firmly by her shoulders. "You had no choice" said Jase. He spoke softly, with compassion, but was also stern, making sure his point got across. He had to speak with a certain volume because of the wind. "Hey, you did the right thing, Alright? Arendelle is better off with snow than fire and you know that." Jase looked back to the blizzard outside. "They must be grounded by now. They're vulnerable." he said, now looking at Elsa. "We have a chance now, let's not squander it."

Her panic subsiding, Elsa nodded. She looked back at Jase, choosing logic over her old fears. "Yes, yes of course..." She turned around, seeing the other guards on the wall, anxiously awaiting her orders. "Go, spread the word. I want to see every guard that can still fight by the front gates now. Go!" she ordered. Immediately, the men nodded, said "yes your majesty", and briskly darted downstairs. A short second later, they started calling out to the other guards along the walls to come down.

Jase went to follow, but Elsa grabbed his arm. "Jase. Um, thank you" she said sincerely.

Jase just nodded, a small smile on his face. "No problem."

* * *

One second, he was jogging through the city streets back to the castle, ready to jump back into the fight. In the next second, however, Jethro felt a strong, sudden gust of icy cold wind blowing right into his face. A moment later, that gust grew in intensity. Then he saw snow, and lots of it, coming his way. A wave of the winter elements came rushing down the street at him in a fury. He instinctually bowed his head and raised his shoulder, just as the blizzard hit him. In the span of five seconds, a calm, summer night had turned into a horrid winter snowstorm. When before he could see the castle in the distance, he could now barely see his hands in front of him. He shook his head, clearing the icy frost from his face, spitting out some snow that got into his mouth.

"Not the Snow Queen _my foot_!" he shouted over the fierce wind with a heavy tone of sarcasm. "She's a queen, and it's snowing! In July!" he shouted as he trudged forward. "You don't need to be a mystic to see that! Criminy it's freezing!"

Meanwhile, up on his perimeter tower, Skouch watched in disbelief as his two dragons vanished into the Queen's blizzard. Realizing this would immobilize them, he snarled in a furious hiss. He had now way to reach them through the snow and wind to direct them on what to do, and the wind itself would make flying impossible. Skouch shook his head, then dove off his perch and into the blizzard to find his command and figure out a new plan.

* * *

The guards had all assembled at the gates with great speed, anxious to get back at the beasts that attacked their home. Elsa made her way down the stairs with Jase, who were then greeted by Captain Dodgson. He walked alongside them as they made their way to the gate.

"My guards are ready" said Dodgson. "Gust give us the order."

Elsa was more than ready to act. The dragons may be grounded and without a means to navigate, but they are still somewhere in the city, amongst civilians. She imagined everyone would be in their homes, but she can never be to sure. She was anxious to stop the dragons so she can stop the blizzard as quickly as possible. "The dragons are trapped somewhere in the storm" said Elsa. "Jethro said they are vulnerable when grounded, so let's use that to our advantage." They stopped, just in front of the assembled guards in front of the main gates. Elsa faced her captain. "The rest I leave in your capable hands."

Dodgson, nodded, saluted his Queen, and faced his men. He spoke with a tough, attention grabbing voice. "Listen up gentlemen! Our enemy has been on the ground now for five minutes. They were last scene somewhere north of Harrison Lane. We will split up into three equal teams. Team one will be led by Sir Jase to my left. Team two will be led by... where is Sir Isaac?"

"Here sir!" shouted Isaac, running up with three guards on his left.

"Team two will be led by Sir Isaac!"

"Wait, what did I just sign up for?" asked Isaac.

"Team three" continued Dodgson. "Will be lead by myself! What I want from each and every one of you is a hard target search of every street corner, alleyway, barnhouse, warehouse and boathouse for these monsters! We do not come home until the last three dragons are accounted for! Then, and only then can the Queen release the storm! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes sir!" the shouted, ready for payback.

With the men ready and dividing themselves accordingly, Dodgson, Jase and Isaac began planning out the best direction for each group to take.

While the three discussed a plan of attack, Elsa turned around, hearing footsteps approach her from behind. She saw Anna, Olaf, and Lionel approach her. They walked slowly, lacking any sort of haste altogether.

"Anna?" Elsa asked. She took a few steps towards them. "What are you doing here? It's not safe... Lionel? What are you doing...?"

"It's OK" Anna said. "I let him out. We needed his help." Anna spoke in a slow, uneasy voice. She rubbed her left shoulder, looking down. Her face was red, and her eyes were puffy.

Seeing her sister's body language, Elsa became worried. "What happened?" she asked, expecting the worse.

Anna sniffled through her nose. "There, was an accident" she said, sniffling again. Elsa waited in dread for Anna to finish. "The painting room caved in. We all got out, except..." Anna now makes contact with Elsa, shaking her head as her eyes watered up. "Pabbie didn't make it." Anna now looked down, covering her mouth with her right hand, holding back a few sobs. She had gotten most of her tears out earlier, but the pain was still fresh, and the relationship with the old troll was that deep.

Elsa remained motionless. Though her mind was still processing the information, her eyes showed that she was in utter shock. Finally, she shook her head. She covered her mouth with her hands and closed her eyes hard, holding back tears. "How?" she asked, a great strain in her voice as she tried to hold back the outburst that threatened to come out.

"He kept the roof from caving in up until the last minute" said Anna. "He... he save Kristoff's life." By now, Anna was sniffling hard. Elsa immediately ran up and wrapped her arms around Anna. Anna sobbed silently, letting her emotions out...

"Your majesty, we're ready" Dodgson said from behind.

Elsa, on the other hand, had to keep her emotions in check. They were still in battle, and she had to command her kingdom. Elsa let go of Anna, gave her a sympathetic nod before wiping her own tears, then turned around to face her captain. Though she was clearly greatly upset by all that had happened, she did well to hold it back.

"Very good captain" Elsa said. "You may proceed."

Dodgson nodded and turned back to his men. The stables were emptied as every available horse was saddled up and given to a guard. In all, thirty men were left. They divided themselves into groups of ten, intending to split up in search of the dragons.

Dodgson was the first to lead his calvary into the blizzard, their plan to move along the shoreline. It was one of the few landmarks that could lead them anywhere, and a dragon might use it to find the castle. Elsa formed a tunnel of calm air over the bridge, allowing the men to ride through without resistance into the city. After that, they would have to be on their own. Isaac's team was next, tasked with going to the center of Harrison lane and spiral out.

Now it was Jase's turn. He was tightening his horse Cliff's saddle strap when he was approached by Lionel.

"Let me come with you" he said.

"What?" Jase asked as he pulled a strap tight.

"Luke is out there, at the Martin's house. I need to make sure he's safe." As part of the condition of his imprisonment, his son Luke was to stay with the Martin's, a respected foster home in the city.

Jase finished tightening the strap, then pulled down the stirrup flap before facing Lionel. "Our mission is to find the dragons first. I can't promise we can even find the Martin's house in this whiteout."

"Then, just bring me along so I can fight. Fire doesn't hurt me, you know that."

Jase thought about this for a moment. "I've seen you fight, and quiet frankly you're probably more qualified to go after one of these than I am. Let me go make sure Elsa is OK with this" he said as he walked away, leaving Lionel with the reigns to his horse.

Elsa was silent as she watched the last of Isaac's men ride out. She had just closed the tunnel of calm air when Jase approached her.

"Elsa" he asked. "I don't suppose you would object to Lionel coming along, don't you?"

Elsa looked over his shoulder, seeing Lionel waiting with Jase's horse. Elsa just shrugged, believing he didn't even had to ask. "I don't see a problem. He has never tried to escape once, and I don't see him doing so anytime soon."

Jase nodded and turned to leave, but Elsa stopped him, gently grabbing him on the shoulder.

"You be careful now, OK?" she told him worryingly. She reached out and held his hands in her own.

"Don't worry about me" said Jase. "You just keep this storm up and make sure they don't escape. You should be careful too you know. They could still sneak back here."

"I can handle them" she told him, nodding. "Just, watch yourself. I already lost someone close tonight, I don't want to lose you too."

"You won't, I promise" he told her. They held hands for a few moments. staring at each other. Then, he walked away, letting his hand slip away from hers. Jase walked over to Lionel, nodded in confirmation, and grabbed Cliff's reigns. A stable boy walked out with another horse fore Lionel.

Once they were ready, the men lined up at the gates. Elsa let out a rough sigh, then waved her hand out, forming the tunnel for the men to ride through.

"Alright!" said Jase. "Let's roll!" he said out loud before riding Cliff at a full gallop through, the others following behind. Once the last of the horses crossed the bridge and into the blizzard, Elsa closed the tunnel.

* * *

Jethro fought through the blizzard, unable to see two feet in front of him. Snow was now building up on the ground below, making walking more and more difficult. The fact that he was trapped in a blizzard and it being night made his eyes virtually useless. Not having his scabbard, he held his sword in his right hand. Though it was light, the weapon began to weigh on his arm, having to hold it and trudge through the snow.

He stopped when he heard a faint growl resonate in the air.

He held his sword firm, ready for an attack. He turned around, looking through the snow. His strongest sense suppressed, along with his hearing in the howling wind, he felt nervous. Then, he saw a faint silhouette through the wind and snow. It's size alone and the faint glow of moonlight was all that allowed him to see the dragon walking just before him. The dragon stopped, and so did he. It twitched its head, sniffing the air around him. It was then Jethro realized that he was up wind of it. Even in this snow, a dragon's sense of smell was legendary.

He heard a faint, reptilian snicker over the wind. "Where are you?" the dragon asked in a threatening, yet humorously casual tone. "I smell you, elf."

Jethro remained silent and motionless. He was out of his element, but so was the dragon. Then, he saw a fiery red glow through the snow. The dragon breathed fire, swinging its head around, hoping to hit his target in a wide blind shot. Jethro ducked as the flame shot over his head. He could feel the intense heat on his skin, even in the freezing temperatures.

After he finished breathing his fire, the dragon looked around again. Jethro crawled behind what he assumed to be a bench on the side of the road. He was nearly blind.

"Come on!" said the dragon, this time more angry. "Fight me with honor! Or are you just some cowering wretch like the rest of your kind?"

At this, Jethro could remain silent no more. "You're pretty talkative for a slivering worm!" he shouted over the wind.

The dragon shot his head around at the sound, though unable to pinpoint its source. "You'll regret those words!" said the dragon. "Come on out!"

"Make me!"

The dragon hissed in annoyance. Then he smiled to himself. "It's probably best you remain hidden then. Skouch has killed many elves in the North, and here it will be no different. Pity though that I only have one to play with."

"Skouch huh?" said Jethro. "Does Skouch like to refer to himself in the third person?"

"Skouch likes to hear his name said" said the dragon.

Believing the dragon to be close, Jethro jumped out from behind the bench, only to see nothing before him.

Skouch continued, his voice sounding more distant. "I suppose it is a quality frowned upon, but I simply cannot help it. You would not believe how tight lipped my comrades can be."

Jethro, feeling uneasy being in the open, decided to keep moving, so as to keep the dragon guessing on his location. "I do hate attention seekers."

"What about you?" said Skouch, his voice seemingly coming from a different location every time he spoke. "Do you have a name? You do smell, _familiar_."

Jethro continued on through the blizzard, desperately seeking into the blurry landscape for his quarry. He didn't see the large shape slither behind him. "Yeah, sorry. My mom always told me to never tell a stranger your name."

"Really? I feel like we've met before... in the settlement of Jainsborrow."

Jethro stopped. He remembered the small troll colony that settled near a mountain range in the Lands North. He was there when dragons raided the defenseless trolls, absconding with several of its inhabitants. He remained silent, an angry scowl forming on his face.

"Ah ha!" Skouch remarked. "I remember now. You led the relief force. I can put scent to face now... They say your leadership rivals that of kings, yet you lack any royal blood and training."

"Come out you snake!" shouted Jehtro, now angry, losing his focus. He turned around rapidly, searching for the beast just so he could shut him up.

"Kings come to you for aid I hear. And yet, in your people's greatest time of need, what does the Captain of Shamrock offer? _Nothing!_ "

Jethro screamed in rage. He was blinded by the snow, his emotions were running rampant, and he had lost the calmness necessary for sound judgment. He was now moving fast through the snow, too fast to see where he was going. He crashed into a lamppost, his sword making a loud clanging noise as it hit the metal. He froze, realizing he had just gave away his position.

The dragon shut its mouth, finally. Jethro couldn't see or hear his enemy. He remained by the lamppost, his sword up and ready for anything. He panted, panic setting in once he realized he had lost his nerve. He took a few long breathes, trying to get a hold of his senses.

"The only one who will turn up with nothing tonight is you, when you return without the Snow Queen!" said Jethro.

At first, nothing. Then, a loud voice somewhere in the mid-distance. "You've guessed my purpose."

"Not hard" said Jethro more to himself, not wanting to further indicate his exact location. He didn't see the faint light of the lamp above him reveal Skouch's large, smirking head.

"Not hard indeed"! he said, now breathing in to let out fire. Jehtro saw his attacker rear up above him. Knowing he lacked any strategic advantage, he dove for cover, running into the wind as fire rained down from the sky, following him as he zig-zagged across the open street. Skouch ceased his flame, but immediately took another breathe and fired again, this time shooting a ball of fire just ahead of the elf. Jethro met a face full of fire just ahead of him. In a desperate effort to stop himself to avoid being burned, Jehtro lost his balance and fell forward, face first into the snow. He quickly got back up, only to realize he had lost his sword in the snow. He stretched out his hand, willing his sword to fly to him. Just as he saw the flying weapon, though, Skouch swung his tail at him, knocking him down as the weapon flung just pass him.

Now half dazed on the ground, Jethro felt a large claw slam into the ground next to him. He turned around, lying on his back as he looked up at the towering dragon standing overhead.

"Burn!" said the dragon as a glow emanated from deep in his throat.

He was about to finish the elf in an inferno, when he heard a horse neigh nearby. The dragon jerked his head around, watching as an entire cavalry came into sight.

"Dragon!" the lead horseman shouted. Just behind him, the rest of his comrades stopped their horses in their tracks. Among them were Jase and Lionel. Skouch roared, then shot out a stream of fire against the men and their horses.

The horses nearly scattered in all directions, when the flame suddenly curved up, out of harms way and dissipated into the air. Skouch held back his flame, surprised by his misbehaving fire.

"How?..." he said to himself when a ball of fire, coming from Lionel, shot out, impacting the dragon square in the chest. Skouch let out a screech of pain, falling backwards over his tail from the impact. Seeing his chance, Jehtro got up and ran towards the safety of the horses.

Skouch rolled around in the snow and got up. The recent barrage of fire temporarily melted the snow mid air, creating a layer of mist, which was slightly easier to see through than the snow.

Seeing his new enemy before him, Skouch let out a laugh. "Ha! You think because of your friend you can defeat me?!" said Skouch in a boastful voice. "I am the dragon Skouch! My race stems from before history! We are masters of the flame! The element of destruction and rebirth! The most powerful and oldest of all the races! You shall all die at my claw..."

While Skouch boasted, Lionel shot his fire into a nearby lamppost, turning the once cold, solid metal into a semi liquid mass of red hot metal. In a whip-like fashion, he flung the metal over to the dragon and wrapped it around his snout in a spiral in mid-speech. Skouch let out a grunt of surprise as Lionel pulled his fire out of the metal, returning it to its solid state.

"Thank you!" said Jethro in relief to Lionel for shutting up the monologuing dragon. Skouch let out a loud, mad grunt, then tried to claw the makeshift muzzle off his snout.

"Now!" shouted Jase. Immediately, two horsemen rode out, each carrying an end of a thick rope. With the dragon's forelimbs preoccupied with trying to free his mouth, the two men road on each side. Too focused of trying to free himself, Skouch failed to notice the rope make contact with his rear legs. They passed, then rode around the dragon, wrapping the rope tightly around his hind legs. Skouch took a step forward, but the rope blocked his movements, and he fell forward with a loud thud, shaking the ground. Skouch immediately pushed up against the ground with his arms. The winds were still too strong for him to fly, had he attempted, he would just be blown back to the ground. Instead, he stretched his wings and brought them down, the claws on the second joint crashing down. Working as an extra set of limbs, he used his wings in conjunction with his arms to try and crawl away, back to a side alley, where he could climb up one of the buildings and escape.

Instead, three lassos flung out from the riders, two of them hitting their marks on the Skouch's nose horn. Immediately, they jumped from their horses. Other's joined in, grabbing onto the rope to pull the beast down.

Skouch let out a muffled snarl and snapped his neck back. He used his arms and wings combinded to pull himself backwards, pulling some men onto the ground. Jethro retrieved his sword, then ran up and stuck the dragon on his right wing. He struck hard, slashing a deep cut into the fingers on the wing, drawing blood. Skouch recoiled the wing and grunted a muffled cry in pain. More crippled than he already was, Skouch continued to pull back, still winning out on the tug of war.

"Lionel!" Jase shouted, joining the fight by grabbing the tail end of the rope. "Now! Kill it before it gets away!"

Lionel formed some fire in his stretched out hands. Seeing a bench nearby, he shot the fire into it, burning the wood and liquefying the metal. He folded his hands in, bringing the red hot metal to him. With the flaming metal floating before him, he waved his hands, as if molding something out of clay. He ended up with a long, red hot spear. He waved his hands back, took aim with his spear, ready to throw it.

"Wait!" shouted Jethro. He ran up between Lionel and the dragon. "Wait, don't kill it!"

"Oh, what now!" shouted Jase in irritance.

"He knows too much!" said Jethro in a pleading voice. "We know nothing on our enemy, and this dragon seems willing to talk. Please Sir Jase. I can get the truth out of him!"

Jase shook his head, ready to dismiss his plea. All he could see before him was one of the dragons which had caused so much death and destruction to his home already.

"We need to know about this enemy" said Jethro immediately, seeing Jase shake his head. "My enemy is your enemy now! If you kill him, you kill our only link to his identity, and his goals."

Jase pulled back harder on the rope, digging his heels into the snow as Skouch shook his head again, swaying his body left to right in an effort to pull away. Jase saw the dragon's angry, furious eyes. He was like a cornered bear, not willing to go down no matter the odds. Their was a new enemy to Arendelle, and as much as he hated to admit it, Jethro was right that this dragon was now their only lead.

Reluctantly, Jase said to Lionel "you heard him, take him alive!"

Lionel let out an uncomfortable sigh. "Yeah, sure, no problem" he said with some sarcasm. Sure, he was able to hold off a trained assassin elf for three years, but this was a little bigger than an elf.

Lionel just shrugged it off. He looked around for more ammunition. He didn't have much to work with: a few more benches, some lampposts, and the metal fencing encasing some of the trees. Working fast, he formed several flames in the air and shot them out in all directions. Like fast moving snakes, the flames zoomed around, striking the nearest sources of metal. The heat worked instantaneously and liquefied the metal, burning off whatever non-metallic substance attached. He then pulled them to himself, swirling them into a larger mass of the searing hot substance.

He looked back at the still struggling dragon as Jase and his men began loosing their grips. Figuring out something quick in his head, he maneuvered his hands around, trying not to rush too much and mess up. Then, a stream of flaming metal flew at the dragon, forming into links and forming a long chain. Waving his hands around quickly, he maneuvered the chain around and around the dragon. He wrapped chain around his head, spiraling down over his limbs and his wings. He looped the chain over a few more times for good measure. Skouch watched helplessly as Lionel clapped his hands together. The chain tightened up around Skouch in a rapid, single movement, as if tightening a knot. Immune to heat, Skouch didn't feel the heat from the metal, but rather the tightness of the chain.

He stretched the loose chains down from various parts of the dragons body, similar to how one would set up a tent. With the little metal he had left, he formed metal spikes and slammed them into the ground through the chains, pulling Skouch to the ground. Skouch was now entangled in the still hot metal. The snow from the blizzard vaporized into water vapor on contact with the chain, surrounding the dragon in a mist.

Satisfied that the dragon was at least temporarily immobilized, Lionel flung his hands up, pulling his fire out of the chain. A massive mass of swirling fire formed overhead, than dissipated once Lionel willed it gone. Done, Lionel fell to his knees, exhausted from using so much of his magic at once.

Skouch pulled his head up, but was unable to lift his head more than a few inches. The rest of his body was in a similar predicament as he strained against the rattling chains. His mouth still bound, Skouch could only let out an angered grunt, boring eyes into the humans that now surrounded him.

"That's great" said Jase in relief. "Now how are we supposed to get him home?"

* * *

Elsa returned to the top of the tower, looking out over the snow covered city...

In summer...

Again...

"Hey, at least you know how to turn it off this time, right?" said Anna in hopes of lightening the mood. Elsa looked over with a solemn face on. Anna frowned. "I'm sorry" she said, twiddling her fingers.

"Oh, it's alright" said Elsa. "I mean your right. It's just, you know, _again_."

"Yeah, I know."

The two sisters were greeted by Kristoff, who had just walked up the stairs.

"Hey" he said. "Everything's going well inside, so I figured I would come up. Matthew fell asleep and is with Gerda." He went and stood by his wife. "Any news?"

"They're still out there" said Elsa, keeping her eyes on the kingdom. It was quiet, save for the blizzard blowing just outside the castle walls. "I haven't seen any of the dragons leave, so they're down there as well."

Kristoff only nodded. "So, it's just a waiting game now?"

"Yep" said Anna.

The three waited in silence for several minutes, watching, and waiting.

Suddenly, there was a loud screech in the air. They all looked up and saw, not a dragon, but a lone white falcon. It flew down and landed just beside Elsa on the stone railing. It was none other than Frida, Elsa's snow falcon.

"Oh, hey girl" said Elsa as she stroked her feathers. Frida cawed softly, then chirped and chattered as if speaking. "It's a long story" Elsa said in response.

"You can understand her?" asked Kristoff, pointing to the snow falcon.

"Um, yeah."

"You talk to Sven" said Anna.

"Touché" was his only response.

Frida chattered a little more in a series of chirps and crackles. She seemed agitated now, darting her head around into the blizzard. "What is it? What do you see?" asked Elsa.

Frida just chirped some more, hoping up and down now in agitation. She then looked over the wall. Elsa followed and looked down as well.

"What? What is it?" asked Anna. She and Kristoff now looked over the edge as well. They saw nothing at first. Elsa was the first to spot something. She pointed out a large wake in the water below. It moved parallel to the wall at a leisurely pace. They stared at the wake until to faded into nothing just before turning the corner of the castle.

"They're in the water" said Elsa in alarm. "Kristoff, go alert the guards."

"Got it" he said. He immediately walked over to the stairs. He stopped, however, when he felt a drop of water on his head. He ran his hand through his hair to wipe it out when another drop fell, then another and another. He looked up, seeing that it was coming from the wood roof of the tower.

Then the roof creaked.

Kristoff jerked his head around to the girls, who likewise heard the noise. They froze in silence as the roof creaked again. Kristoff mouthed "quiet" as he pointed up. The three remained quiet for a few moments as the wood groaned and waned some more. The roof was made of solid four by four lumber. It takes a lot of weight to bend that material.

Then, behind the girls, a massive dragon head ducked silently down from over the edge of the tower's roof.

"Get down!" shouted Kristoff as he dove for the girls, grabbing them both with each arm then dragged them down to the ground, just as the dragon snapped at them. It snarled at missing its prey. It turned its head around, looking down at the three on the ground. It was the smaller one, the one with the line of small spikes along the mid ridge of its narrow head. Water dripped from its wet body onto Anna's forehead.

Elsa immediately shot up a small blast of ice, only managing to hit the dragon in the eye with a blast of snow. It recoiled its head back out over the roof. It roared, remaining perched over them on the tower's roof.

"Get out of here!" said Elsa as they got back up.

"We're _all_ getting out of here!" said Kristoff as he grabbed their hands and ran for the stairs. The dragon's arm crashed through the roof above in front of them, blocking their way. It swung it's thin arm wildly below, feeling for its prey. The trio backed away from the large, clawed paw of the blue dragon. They heard shouts of the remaining guards outside, having spotted the dragon on top of the tower.

The three were now backed up against the inner wall of the tower to avoid the dragon's fingers, their only escaped blocked. They could only remain motionless as the radius of the dragon's search expanded, closer and closer to them. In a random, rapid movement, it clawed Anna's skirt. Catching on, it pulled her out away from the wall and towards the dragon above.

"Get off of me!" shouted Anna defiantly as she tried to pull free of the dragon's grip.

"Anna!" screamed Kristoff as he grabbed Anna's hand, pulling her back. The dragon now readjusted its grip, its fingers now surrounding the princess.

"LET GO OF MY SISTER!" shouted Elsa in rage. No dragon was taking her sister tonight, that she was adamant about. Summoning up a massive amount of ice magic, Elsa knelt down below where she guessed the dragon would be, and swung her hands upward with great might, blasting the roof apart with a massive beam of pure ice magic.

The whole roof was sent up into the sky above, dragon and all, as a wave of snow. The claw around Anna dissolved into snow, disintegrating into a pile of frozen water on the floor. Kristoff pulled Anna to him, still on the momentum of trying to free her, and fell to the ground with her one top.

There was no more roof over them, and the dragon was nowhere to be seen. Only a light snowfall came down from the sky. Not even debris from the roof fell.

On the floor, Kristoff and Anna remained panting, where seconds before they were fighting against the pull of the dragon. Elsa stood before them, breathing heavily from the massive amount of magic she just summoned. She looked up, just as baffled as her family was.

"Uhhh…" was all that escaped Kristoff's mouth.

"Did you just, turn the dragon into snow?" asked Anna in awe and shock.

Elsa only nodded, staring into the sky with just as much surprise as anyone there. "I, didn't know I could do that… that's, a little scary" she said, looking at her hands.

Anna got up from Kristoff, wiping the snow from her dress. "Well, just goes to show, you don't mess with my sister, right?" Anna said.

Elsa turned around and faced them. A small smile escaped her lips. "Ha, yeah, right." Nearby, Frida landed on a loose piece of wood hanging from the edge of what was left of the ceiling, letting out a small warble.

Then, in the blink of an eye, another dragon, the green one with the two backwards facing horns climbed up from behind the wall facing the fjord, dripping with water.

"Elsa, behind you!" shouted Kristoff.

Elsa immediately turned around, coming into eye contact with the beast. It was so close Elsa could feel its hot breath hit her face. He was staring right at her with fierce eyes, a faint orange glow illuminating its pupils. Elsa immediately went to defend herself. Kristoff and Anna could only stand by and await the outcome.

Then, suddenly, Elsa became weak and light headed. All she could do is stare back at the dragon, and it stared at her. Her hands fell to her side, suddenly entranced. To her, everything slowed down, every movement fading into a blur. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. All she was capable of doing was to stare right back at the dragon, who stared right back intently.

"Elsa! Do something!" Anna shouted from behind, but Elsa couldn't respond. The dragon moved closer, continuing to look into her eyes. To her, the dragon's eyes seemed to sparkle, like stars swirling around and around until they vanished into nothingness at the center. She grew more and more sleepy with each passing second. Anna's and Kristoff's cries behind her sounded distant and far away. She felt like she didn't have a worry in the world.

By the time Elsa realized she was being hypnotized, she had closed her eyes and had fallen into a deep sleep.

Before her body could hit the ground, the dragon reached out and grabbed her limber body in its claws.

"Elsa!" Anna screamed, running to her sister.

The dragon was too quick though. Once it had the queen in its possession, it raised its wings and took off. Anna ran up, standing just where Elsa had been a second ago.

"NO! ELSA!" Anna screamed as Kristoff ran up behind her. "ELSA!"

It was too late. The dragon flew up vertically into the sky at great speed, disappearing into the night sky, now on a route back to the North with his prize. Within the course of ten seconds, the dragon was nowhere to be seen, and Elsa with it.

"ELSA!" Anna screamed again, but it was too late. The dragon flew north, past the city, past the North Mountain, over Arendelle's border and beyond. It would not stop until it had taken the queen to its master.

* * *

 **(Liam Neeson's voice) She's been taken!**

 **Well, that's it! No turning back now! The battle is over, but the main story has begun! I realize you are all on the edge of your seats now, and this story is far form over. You may think you know where I'm going with this, but you have NO IDEA!. So, be prepared!**

 **Having finally seen the movie "the Fugitive", I decided to throw in a reference to it. Did you catch it?**

 **I would like to congratulate my newest reviewer, Danielle from South Africa, for having just caught up. Thanks again for reviewing and I'm glad you are enjoying this!**

 **Will be taking a short break to catch up on my other stories, but I will be back to this one shortly.**

 **Please review! Let me know what you think.**

 **-Batman**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

A Riddle

* * *

Skouch was not being cooperative, which didn't surprise Jase. He was beginning to regret giving in to Jethro's request to spare its life, even if for interrogation. How on earth were they going to keep this dragon more than a few days? Where would they hold it? The ballroom? It's the only place big enough he thought. And it wasn't like they could just let it go afterwards. It had openly attacked Arendelle, so it had to be punished, right? Not only was this thing not a citizen of Arendelle, it wasn't even human. How on earth do laws apply? His mind boggled as more and more ridiculous notions entered his head. He wondered how Isaac and Dodgson's men faired.

He figured they did well. It was now midnight according to the twelve chimes of the clock tower, four hours since Elsa started the blizzard, which had slowed down into a light snowfall by now. Based on the weather, he assumed the other dragons had been slayed and Elsa called off the storm.

Approaching the market square, just before the castle, Jase caught site of Isaac's and Dodgson's groups riding up simultaneously through one of the street entrances. He waved to them. They returned the gesture, then froze at the sight of their prisoner.

"What the bob!?" sputtered out Isaac in astonishment, his bewildered eyes fixed on Skouch's muzzled face. Skouch just looked back with a scowl. "How...?" he caught sight of Lionel, who rode his horse alongside Skouch, ready to act if he tired something. He fashioned shackles around his front and rear legs, all chained to one another so as to restrict his movements, forcing the dragon to wobble along in short strides. "Wait, how come _you_ get the fire dude?"

"We're taking prisoners?" asked Dodgson.

"Apparently" said Jase. "Elf boy here thinks he can get some questions out of him."

"I'm pretty sure he will just give us the master plan in a long, drawn out monologue" said Jethro with confidence. "Never saw such a chatterbox."

The guards just stared at the beast. Some were cautious, backing their horses away, while others stared with hatred, thinking of their fallen brothers. Soon, small groups of citizens lined the borders of the streets, equally distressed by the site of the bound dragon as it was led down the street, covered in chains.

"Did you get the others?" asked Jase to Dodgson and Isaac. They both shook their heads. "Really?" he asked.

"We scoured the area and found no sign" said Isaac. "When the storm stopped, we assumed one of you killed the others."

Jase looked up, seeing the light snow fall. "Then, why did Elsa call off the storm... unless..." he looked at the castle. He noticed one of the towers was missing a roof, a feature he did not notice when he left. His eyes widened at the realization of another attack after he had left "Oh no." He immediately kicked Cliff into a full gallop, riding for the castle in haste.

He rode across the bridge, where the gates opened for him. He rode on through the courtyard, seeing small crews of men cleaning the damage from the attack. Rubble and smashed timber lied organized in small piles around the courtyard. Men walking around with torches lit the space, with help form the full moon. Near the front gate, he saw Anna sitting on the stairs with a blanket over her shoulders. Sitting next to her was Kristoff, holding her shoulders. Their clothing were covered in dirt, ashes, and tears from all that happened that night. Both had solemn looks on their faces. Anna seemed shaken, shivering slightly in the cold air. He noticed that Elsa was not with them. Jase immediately jumped off his horse and walked over. As he walked, he noticed that each passing face would look away, avoiding his gaze.

"What happened?" he asked them once he approached. "Where's Elsa?"

Kristoff looked up. He stood up, facing Jase. "They took her" he said straight out.

It took a second for the reality to hit Jase. "What?!"

Now, Anna stood up. "One of those... _things_ took her!" Anna spat. "I don't know how. It knocked her out or something and flew away with her!"

"They took her?! The dragon took her?!" Jase almost shouted. Anna nodded solemnly. Jase's eyes shot wide open in a panicked shock. He looked up, not believing this was happening. "That was their plan all along. All of this, was just a diversion to get..." Jase turned around, furious. He saw a broken piece of wood on the ground by his feet. He didn't even hesitate to pick it up and throw it hard against the side of the castle, letting out an angry shout. The whole assembly froze in silence, the slam of the wood against stone echoing throughout the courtyard. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said "Where did it go?"

"North" said Kristoff. "It took her north."

"North?" asked Jase. He shook his head. "It's taking her to its home."

"Wherever that is" said Anna. "Somewhere in a place that doesn't exist on a map." Anna noticed marge walking towards them. Not being battle able, Marge took to cover once Jehtro left, believing that she would just be getting in the way. She seemed anxious, walking faster than usual.

"Has anyone seen Jethro?" she asked worryingly. "I swear, if he went of and got himself killed..."

"Jethro is on his way" said Jase. He turned around. The gates had already begun to open. "Along with our prisoner."

"Prisoner?" asked Kristoff.

When the gates finally swung open fully, the whole courtyard gasped in panic. At the site of Skouch, being led in in chains, they scattered back, as far away as they could. Skouch looked around the courtyard, then gave a disapproving huff through his muzzle.

Anna and Kristoff, and everyone else for that matter, couldn't believe their eyes.

"Jase, what... what the heck?!" Kristoff asked.

"You brought one of those monsters here?!" Anna nearly shouted.

"It was Jethro's idea" said Jase. "He thinks it has information. I wanted to kill him, but now I'm glad I didn't." He looked to Anna and Kristoff. "That monster knows where they took Elsa." He looked back at the dragon, then back to Anna. "We're going to get her back. I promise you that."

* * *

Skouch was set up in the west corner of the castle walls. His back was facing the wall,, while his head faced the courtyard. Thirty men armed with crossbows surrounded him in a half circle, their weapons loaded and aimed at his vitals. Up on the walls, twenty more archers stood ready. Some were guards, others were citizens, members of emergency militia groups who volunteered after the heavy casualties the castle took. It was now one in the morning. Fatigue threatened all who were still awake on this horrid night.

Jase, Kristoff, and Jethro stood directly in front of him, facing the dragon. They stood inside the circle of archers. Anna stood just outside with Marge, giving the dragon a deathly glare. Lionel stood to Skouch's side. He would use his fire and metal to subdue the dragon if he had to. He was held down by teams of men, holding on to chains wrapped around his body. Though he was secured tightly and his movements were severely limited, t wasn't the perfect setup. But there was no time. Every second counted if they were going to get Elsa back.

Kristoff was the first to speak. "Alright, listen up" he said sternly at Skouch. The dragon growled lightly. "Lionel is going to remove that muzzle, and we're going to _talk_ _,_ that's it. If you so much as make a smoke ring, these men will shoot you. The only thing I want you moving is your mouth. Got it?"

Skouch remained motionless, staring at the human with his menacing, venomous stare. His face showed no emotion. Then, finally, he nodded, a faint hint of a smile on his lips, unnoticed by most. Kristoff looked to Jethro and said "Alright, he's all yours."

Jethro nodded, then gave Lionel a thumbs up. Lionel took a deep, nervous breath, then extended his hand, letting a gentle stream of fire extend up and into the metal surrounding his muzzle. The metal became red hot in seconds of the fire entering it. He then made a twisting motion with his hand, unraveling the spiral shaped muzzle from Skouch's mouth. Once free, Skouch let out a sigh of relief. The archers raised their weapons, but Jase held his arm up, signaling them to hold back.

Skouch coughed. "I take it _you're_ the one who gave Klydrun so much trouble!" he spat at Lionel.

At the mention of that name, Jase was tempted to inquire. Had had figured Klydrun was in league with the dragons, but to have confirmation was the closest he had ever gotten to finding his whereabouts. Still, his primary concern was to find Elsa and bring her home.

Lionel, on the other hand, had to inquire about the assassin who hunted him and his family down. "You know him?" he asked, out of context.

"Know him? Ha! He's the Master's favorite student! That bum was given all the freedom he desires, despite not sharing our ideals!..."

"Hey, I could care less about some assassin" said Jethro, interrupting Skouch. Lionel bit his tongue, feeling foolish for interrupting when there were more important things to worry about. "Where did you take the Queen?"

At the mention of Elsa, Skouch jerked his head to face the elf. He wasn't there when his last dragon took Elsa, so it took him by surprise that his mission was a complete success. He grinned. "Well well. Looks like you have failed again my friend."

Jethro held back a scowl. He just looked back, showing no emotion. "Where is your stronghold?" asked Jethro.

"Let me guess, the green one with the two horns? What's his name, Boran I think. He does have that gift with the eyes you know. So much for the all powerful Snow Queen..."

"I'm not interested in _who_ took her, alright, I just want to know _where_ he took her."

"You think you still have a chance?" asked Skouch. "Please, you didn't even know you had an enemy for the longest time. I chose my side before you were even born..."

"Oh my gosh! You're just full of meaningless words, aren't you?" said Jethro, acting as if he were annoyed. "Not much substance in you is there?"

"Oh, I know all about pointless words. the Troll Prophecy you put all your faith in. That's all they are, words. Even when written in stone, words mean _nothing_!"

"I don't really care about prophecies and destinies" said Jase, stepping past Jethro. He was fed up with the mere mention of this prophecy, which so far has brought nothing but trouble. "What have you done with Elsa? Where is she?" he asked with authority.

"Ah, first name basis are we, knight? Isn't it 'your majesty'? Or 'your grace'? Or is she more than just your queen?" Skouch asked, with implications. Jase remained silent. His eyebrows lowered as he just stared back. Skouch laughed. "You are, aren't you? How sweet" he said sarcastically.

"Alright, enough!" snapped Kristoff. "Either tell us where you took her, or we'll put that muzzle back on."

"Very well" said Skouch. "You want to know about my master? His home? Who answers to him? I'll tell you. No one answers to him! He is a force, the will of the natural order, much like your queen. He is here to fix everything that's wrong with your world, the _whole_ world!" he said. He now spoke uninterrupted, letting the words role off his tongue as he spoke. Skouch continued, speaking with more volume, for all to hear. "I have seen his vision. His vision of a world where its every man for himself, a world where the powers run amuck as they did in ancient times, unbridled, untamed. All are free to do as they choose, without the restraints of order and _civilized_ men. A world where my race will once again flourish." Skouch stopped.

"Sounds like chaos" said Jethro

Skouch looked down, looking at him with maniacal, menacing stare. "Precisely."

"You still haven't answered the question" said Jase.

"Oh, still on about your lovely lass?" asked Skouch.

Jase was bout to draw his sword right then and there. But he held back his anger. Now was not the time for outburst of emotions.

Apparently, no one told Anna that.

"Alright, I've had enough of this!" shouted Anna from behind the archers. Despite protests from the guards, Anna pushed her way through. She walked right up to Skouch, unafraid of what he was capable off. Skouch shot his head around at her, surprised by the energy he sensed emanating from this young woman. "Stop spinning your words around! Tell us where Elsa is. NOW!" Even Skouch recoiled at the unexpected outburst. He looked at the princess curiously.

"The sister, I presume" he said.

"Oh, you presumed right!" said Anna. "Listen, you're not on good ground right now." Anna began sticking out fingers, counting offenses on them. "You've attacked our kingdom, killed a lot of people, including someone I considered family, trashed our home, and now my sister, the queen, has been kidnapped by your thugs. Just one of those things is enough for a public execution. All of them combined... Ooooh, you're lucky you're not drawn and quartered right now!" she said with the face of a woman who had been too much emotional turmoil and not enough sleep at one o'clock in the morning.

By now, all eyes were on Anna. Never before had she been the subject of such fear. "So you better start talking, because I'm all out of patience, and I'm the queen of patience... princess, whatever."

Skouch was quiet for a moment, secretly impressed how Anna, a female, stood up to him, despite the danger. He smiled. "Very well, princess. You impressed me."

"Whatever that means" Anna grumbled.

Skouch looked around, moving only his eyes. He had noticed subtle things in the formation of his enemies. He saw that they were tired, and slow. Things stirred in his head. He decided to really get their attention. "You show insistence, such I have seen only rarely in life, particularly from a woman. I will answer your question, but only if the Captain of Shamrock can answer this riddle."

Jase, Anna and Kristoff shared quizzical looks, not knowing who this captain was. "Fine" said Jethro. The three looked over at him in surprise. He failed to mention any rank.

Skouch began with a smug smile on his face, confident it would not be figured out. He chose his words carefully. "Here is my riddle: _Before the cataclysm, the Linnorms lived in a hidden city of stone. It lied under the ice and over the water. It's gate, centered between eternal tears, bars all outsiders out. None can enter, unless guided by the Linnorm._ So, where is this place?"

Skouch looked around one last time. For a brief moment at least, his enemies were focused on the riddle rather than the beast before them. It was now or never. "I'll let you ponder that until our next meeting."

Then, in one swift movement, Skouch lashed out and scraped his right front claw from left to right, using what little field of movement he had. The men hold holding the chain were sent flying through the air. His talons scraped the cobblestone floor, sending blocks of rock flying in the air, directly into Lionel's forehead. The fire-wielder didn't have a chance to react as a rock knocked his head. Losing consciousness, he fell backwards.

"Fire!" shouted Kristoff as he jumped and grabbed Anna, pulling her down. Likewise, Jase and Jethro got down on their stomachs are the archers released a wave of arrows overhead. Everyone; archers on the floor and on the walls, fired at once.

Skouch, pulling his arms free, wrapped them around his chest, then bowed down, snaking his head around so that the thicker plates on his neck stood out against the arrows, while his more vulnerable skin on his lower neck and belly remained unharmed. His position resembled a hedgehog of sorts, protecting his soft innards from his enemies.

Arrows crashed against his hide. Some stuck in between the plates, but not penetrating enough to cause any damage. He had two, maybe three seconds before the archers reloaded their crossbows. He lifted his head, then breathed fire down at his chains, making a circle of flame around himself. Before the archers could put the arrow into the string, they were forced to cover their eyes from the waves of heat that threatened to blind them. But Skouch wasn't aiming to set them on fire.

While his scales made him fireproof, the chains were subject to melting. Focusing on the most troublesome chains around his wings, Skouch shook his head back and forth, trying to melt them as quickly as possible. It was only a matter of time before someone was able to get a shot at him in this vulnerable position with his neck extended. Finally, seeing most of the chains red hot, he pushed his wings against them. weakened by he heat, the chains snapped, freeing his wings. He didn't even bother with the loose shackles and chains still attached to his arms and legs. With a quick downward motion, he flapped his wings, sending him into the air in a reverse dive. A few more flaps, and he was out of range. In all, his escape took less than six seconds, maybe seven.

"Here we go again" muttered Jase, expecting the worse. With the dragon gone, everyone shot up to their feet, looking to the sky.

"Is he going to attack?" asked Kristoff.

Jethro looked up, scanning the sky and listening for Skouch's position. After about five seconds, he heard his roar, faint in the distance. "No. He just wanted out of here."

There was a brief moment of silence. Their prisoner, their only link to finding the enemy that had Elsa, was gone, probably clearing the city limits by now. Jase saw Lionel still unconscious on the ground. He ran over, got down next to him, and propped his head up. He hchecked him for injury, finding a large gash on his head. It wasn't deep, but it was bruising around the edges.

"Lionel? Hello?" He asked. He looked at his cut on his forehead, checking for signs of swelling. He used her fingers to pry one of his eyes open, seeing if they responded to the light. "Can you hear me? say something!" He shook him.

Slowly, Lionel's eyes squinted open. "Mom?... that you?..." he said in a dazed voice. "I had this nightmare...I dreamed that I fought a fire breathing dragon..." He then drifted again. Jase rolled his eyes, placing him back on the ground.

"At least his memory works" Jase said. "Just needs some rest. He's going to have one heck of a headache through." He got up as two guards came and carried Lionel away inside to rest.

Kristoff looked to Jethro. "So what did he mean? What's a Linnorm? Where is their city?"

"A Linnorm" said Marge, walking up. "Is what you called a dragon in old Norwegian." She wobbled up to the small group while men wandered around aimlessly, not knowing what to do, now with their prisoner gone. "Where their lost city is is anyone's guess."

Kristoff spoke. "So, what? Beneath ice and above the water... an iceberg?"

"Don't be ridiculous" said Marge. "Dragons can't breathe underwater."

"Well excuse me for knowing nothing about dragons" said Kristoff in a sarcastic tone.

"But where is this place?" asked Anna.

"Now how am I supposed to know?" asked Marge in a sour tone. "What do I look like, a map maker?"

"He asked _you_ specifically" said Jase, looking at Jethro. Now all eyes turned to the elf. "Well, _Captain_?" he said, still suprissed with his rank.

Jethro thought for a second. Finally, he shook his shoulder's shrugging. "I don't know" he said in defeat. He shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I can think of over a dozen places with those vague descriptions. Mountains, gorges, but with ice, water, and the tears? I mean, if I had more time, maybe."

"Well, you can think about it on the way" said Anna.

"What?" asked Jase.

"Whether he knows where she is or not, we know that she is at least in the Lands North. Let's go up there, and bring her home."

"I agree" said Kristoff. "We can get more answers there than here. You in?"

Jase shook his head. "Are you seriously asking me?" He turned quickly to Jethro. "Looks like we're going with you after all" he said. "Get what you need, we'll leave at dawn."

Jethro smiled. "Well, then, let's get going!" he said with excitement.

"We're not going anywhere" said Marge in a monotone voice.

"Let's not get go... wait, what?" Jethro said, his excitement waning. He let his hands slap against his side. "Why would you even say that? Do you need to go to the bathroom before we go? Fine, but make it fast."

"I mean our boat's been burned to a crisp you big doof!" she snapped, slapping him in the shin.

"What? What do you mean..."

"One of those suckers set a few of the boats on fire, I went to check. Our supplies, instruments, and most importantly our maps. All burned, ashified, and sent to the bottom of the bay"

"Ooooh" said Jethro, fiddling his fingers. "That's a problem."

"What's a problem?" asked Jase.

"Those maps had the directions to get home."

"You mean you can't get us there?" asked Anna in panic.

"Don't you remember the way?" asked Jase. "Can't you remember how you got here?"

"The way in and the way out are two totally different things" said Marge. "The way out is easy. The way in, on the other hand, has been enchanted by the Ancients to keep outsiders out. Spells that mess with your head, play with your eyes, all sorts of things to get you lost for eternity unless you have very specific instructions. Without the maps, we'd risk getting lost, both physically and mentally!"

"Great" said Anna, frustrated. She waved her hands, walking away. "So we're stuck! Elsa's going to be tortured and God knows what else, and we can't do anything about it."

"Are you sure there is no other way?" asked Jase. "I didn't see those dragons carrying any maps! I'm sure they remember how to get home!"

"Flying is way easier!" said Jethro. "Mountains, wastelands and ravines make entry by land impossible, and even if you could find a way, it could take a year to transverse it. By boat is the only logical way to go. But unless you have the maps, or you've spent years studying the maps, getting in is impossible."

Anna stopped. She spun around to look at Jethro. "Wait. What did you say?"

"What?"

"About, having to study the maps. Like, if we knew someone who's been there before."

"Ha! Good luck!" said Marge. "The way in is far too complex for just anyone to know by heart. You'd have to be some genius to memorize all the fine details."

Anna bit her lip. She had an idea. "Or obsessed."

Jase and Kristoff saw her face, and knew full well what she was thinking, and it wasn't good.

"Come again?" asked Jethro.

"What if I told you we actually know someone who _did_ study all his life to pass the way in. Someone who's been there several times before."

"You're kidding" said Jethro, both unbelieving yet elated.

"Um, Anna" said Kristoff in a worried tone. "You remember that that man, that pirate, is also the one who almost got you, you _and_ Matthew killed, right?"

"I know that, but there isn't anyone else" said Anna. "If there was I wouldn't be bringing him up."

"Oh no" said Kristoff, shaking his head. "No, not _him_. He's way too dangerous and you know it!" he said.

"Kristoff, Kristoff listen to me. This might be our only chance to get Elsa back... I, I don't like it either" she said, shuddering at the memory. "But I can't let Elsa suffer whatever fate awaits her up there."

Kristoff fumed, putting his hands against his hips. His eyes were stern, his eyebrows furrowed at the thought. He looked to Jase. "What do you think?"

Jase looked down in thought, furrowing his eyebrows.. He knew who they were talking about, and he sympathized with Kristoff. He knew what Anna felt too, and the fact that Elsa was not here, that he didn't know where or how she was at this moment was ripping him apart. He had to get to her, he knew only that. He turned and looked at Jethro. "Are you sure there you have no alternatives?"

"Sir Jase, those maps were our only way home. Without them, both Marge and I will never see our home again, and that is the truth... still, out of curiosity, who are you..."

"Then let's do it." said Jase. "We'll leave for Berglia immediately."

Kristoff sighed. "Alright, alright fine. I guess we don't have a choice."

"Great!" said Anna. "Let's do this!"

"Um, one problem" said Jase. "How _are_ we supposed to persuade him to come with us?" he asked curiously. "The man hates us."

Anna and Kristoff looked at each other, then sighed. Anna said "Well, he does have a brother..."

* * *

Anna rushed into Elsa's study while the others focused on gaining supplies and picking a ship that wasn't damaged in the raid. She led Olaf and Sven up here to give them a very important mission.

"Are you sure those dragons are gone?" asked Olaf. "Because I decided they are _waaaay_ to warm for warm hugs. And that's coming from me."

"Believe me, they're gone" said Anna, fully focused at the moment. She pulled open one of the drawers to a file cabinet near the desk. She reached all the way behind a bunch of papers. "It's here somewhere..." She felt around for a second, then pulled back her prize. "Ha ha!" She turned and handed Olaf a small cloth bag. Olaf grabbed it and opened it, revealing the last dozen or so teleportation capsules.

"Ooooh, these things again!" said Olaf excitingly. Sven, on the other hand, took one sniff, and cringed at the memory those things brought.

"Yes. Remember the plan? Go find Wes. Once you find him, explain to him what's going on, and bring him here. Understand the mission?"

Olaf saluted. "Absolutely my lady!" Sven just grunted, not liking the fact that he was 'volunteered' onto this wild goose chase by Kristoff.

"Awesome! Now remember, Elsa's counting on you!"

"We won't take no for an answer!" said Olaf. He picked up a capsule and tossed it to Sven, who gently caught it between his teeth. Olaf picked his up, crushed it between his twig fingers, then said "Where ever the heck Wesley Brawnstone is!" He then vanished into a puff of blue smoke. Sven hesitated, looking down as if to say 'do I have too?'

Anna gave him a pleading stare with wide puppy dog eyes. Sven grunted as if to say 'fine', then bit down on his capsule. He muttered something in reindeer, and closing his eyes, he vanished as well.

* * *

 **So, how did you like Skouch? I was actually going to kill him off here via an arrow to the back of the throat (would be awesome way to go too), but I grew to like his character too much as a villain. After making a few changes to the outline, I found that there was a void he could fill in, and there you go, no dead Skouch!**

 **So, as you can see, I'm trying to incorporate a lot of Norwegian mythology here. Linnorm, as it turns out, is an old Norwegian word for dragon, or at least a variation of a dragon. I considered making a language for this world like Tolkien did in Lord of the Rings, but then I came to my senses (How did that guy do it?!).**

 **And don't try to understand the riddle.!It won't make sense until we actually get to that chapter because it involves a part of the story I haven't set up yet.**

 **And so, the moment you've all been waiting for! Obviously I've set up Lars to return in the first chapter, and I would be hunted down like a dog if I didn't bring in Wes any time soon. So, in order to break the chain of serious, tragic scenes, I give you one long, comical chapter featuring our favorite pirate turncoat who's been to the very edge of the Disney universe and beyond!**

 **Thanks again for reading!**

 **-Batman**

 **P.S. made another movie reference in this chapter. Did you catch it? Next chapter will be chuck full of them!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

 **As you can guess by the title, we're going a little off track for this chapter.**

* * *

Inside Elsa's study, Anna waited anxiously for Olaf and Sven's return. It had been over half and hour now and they had yet to return. She paced the room, checking the clock on the wall every two seconds. "How long is this going to take?" she asked herself. I hope they didn't get themselves into trouble... It is Wes, so it's highly possible..."

Suddenly, Olaf appeared. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers. A second later, Sven appeared. He was blinded by a string of white pieces of lacy cloth, each with wordings stitched in, something in Spanish.

"There you are!" said Anna. "I was getting worried... wait, why are you holding flowers?" she asked, pointing to the flowers.

"I caught the bouquet!" he said excitingly

"What?"

Another second later, Wesley himself appeared. He appeared in his usual apparel, though he had a black eye and a fancy, Spanish jacket on.

"Wesley?" she asked.

"Señora Anna!" he said in a Spanish accent. "Como estas?!"

"Wait, what? What happened to you guys? I sent Olaf and Sven after you half an hour ago!"

"Well, we tried" said Olaf. "But I couldn't inturupt a wedding."

"What?!"

"Maybe I should explain" said Wes. "This tale takes place in a foreign land. A land of mystery, romance, and danger! A new country known only as..." he pulled out a red folding fan and flipped it open dramatically. "¡Méjico!"

* * *

 **(45 minutes prior)**

 **7:00 PM Central Time Zone-** **Somewhere in Mexico**

Olaf and Sven reappeared in a courtyard to a large, Spanish home. All around, plastered orange walls stood surrounded the property, lined with neatly maintained vines and hedges. Neatly raked gravel lined the ground. Horses and carriages were tied up all along the garden's edges. The house, which looked like a fancy castle to the foreigners, was lit up, inside and out. They heard the sound of music and dancing coming from inside.

"Oooooh" said Olaf in awe. "This place is fancy! And so warm!" His little flurry reappeared, this climate being much warmer than Arendelle's current winter.

Sven was likewise baffled by his surroundings. Nearby, some of the horses gave him a curious look. Reindeers were not common in this country after all. Sven bayed cheerfully in greeting. He then said something to Olaf.

"I don't know where he is. He must be inside, let's go knock." Without any hesitation or care, Olaf waddled right up to the door and knocked.

A few moments later, a young man walked out, dressed in a dark blue, long sleeve shirt with a red, fancy chest piece, a servants uniform. He looked around, then down. For a moment, he just stared at the snowman and the reindeer. Then, his face lit up.

"Ah, debe ser Señor olaf y Señor Sven. Señor Brawnstone ha hablado de que en muchas de sus colas. ¡No me di cuenta que le estaba esperando! Ven, estoy seguro de que nuestros anfitriones les encantaría conocerte!" To our two friends, the man spoke gibberish, but in the native language of Spanish, he said " _A_ _h, you must be mister Olaf and mister Sven. Mister brawnstone has spoken of you in his many tails. I didn't realize he was expecting you! Come, I'm sure our hosts would love to meet you!"_ The servent then walked in, unsuprised by the snowman and his bovine friend.

Olaf just shrugged. "Oh, this must be one of those 'foreign languages' Anna talks about! I wonder what he said." Sven grunted. "Come on! Let's go follow him!" Olaf and Sven then followed the servent into the mansion.

Inside, the hallway opened up into a vast, open courtyard in the cener of the mansion. All around, men and women sat at tables, chatting smongst themselves as a meriachi band played on a stage near the back of the courtyard, a vineyard opening up behind them. Olaf spoted a large, white cake, with a bride and groom on the top.

"Oh, is this a wedding! Did we just crash a wedding? I've never crashed a wedding before!" said Olaf excitingly.

"¿No habla espaniol?" asked the servent.

"Uh, what?"

 _"Not a problem!"_ he said in Spanish. " _I shall alert_ Señor _Brawnstone to your presence and we shall arrange for a translator_!" He then led them to a vacant table near the edge of the dining area. " _Please, sit at this table, and I shall return. Enjoy!"_ The servent then bowed, and left. Olaf sat at the table, slightly too short to reach the table top. Sven, seeing the chair obviously desinged for humans, scooted it aside and sat down next to his friend. He said something in reindeer to Olaf.

"I don't know if we're allowed to eat anything. Are party crasherd aloud to eat stuff?"

Sven whined.

"I know the food is just screaming to be eaten. Let's just wait for Wesley, then we'll give him our message and we'll be on our way! I wonder where he is..."

Then, on the stage, a lone announcer spoke up over the crowds.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen!"_ the man spoke in Spanish. He waited for the chatter to die down. _"I would like to thank you all for attending the wedding of my daughter Veronica and my new son-in-law, Ernesto!"_ The crowds broke into applause. _"Now, let me do the honor of introducing you a man who needs no introduction. For your entertainment on this, the night of my daughter's wedding, Senor Wesley Brawnstone everyone!"_ at that, the crowds broke into pandamonious applause.

Unable to understand most of what he said, Olaf and Sven perked up at their the name. "Oh! I think he said Wesley's coming! Now we can give him the message and..."

Olaf stopped when the lights in the room were extinguished. In the back, men with mirrors and candles pointed a sort of spotlight at the stage. Standing with his back to the crowds, a lone figure in a large, Mexican sobrerro stood, wearing a red coat with Spanish trimmings. A spanish tune done in guitar began slowly, then accelerated in tempo when a band of drums, other guitarists, and maracas joined in. The man then turned and started singing, revealing a red mask he wore over his eyes; the notorious Wesley Brawnstone. He began to sing, not in his usual voice, but with a deep, raspy voice.

"Ese amor llega así de ésta manera  
No tiene la culpa  
Caballo de danza vana  
Porque es muy despreciado por eso..."

As Wes sang, Olaf and Sven had their mouths agape in disbelief. As the song continued, they looked to each other, then back at Wes as he continued. He then picked up a guitar from a fellow band member and began playing a quick tune on it before moving on with the chorus

"¡Bamboleo Bambolea!  
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir asi  
Bamboleo bambolea  
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir asi..."

Wes continued singing the next verse as the crowds cheered him on. All Olaf could say was "I am both mesmerized and conflicted at what my eyes are telling me I am seeing." Sven grunted.

Meanwhile, Wes continued, nearing the end of his song. He played his guitar with more passion this time, rapidly moving his fingers between the strings.

"Bamboleo bambolea  
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir asi  
Bamboleo bambolea  
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero..." he then strung his guitar for a final effect. He winked at a woman, who then fainted. "...¡vivir asi!"

Once the song concluded, the crowd, particuarly the women, went nuts. They jumped up and down, screaming his name. By this time, everyone was on there feet.

Olaf and Sven remained close, weary of the pandamonia surrounding him. "Wow!" said Olaf. "I don't remember this at Kristoff's and Anna's wedding!"

"¡Gracias!" said Wes from the stage in a perfect Mexican accent. " _Thank you! I'll be here all week!"_ Keeping his guitar with him, he ran out and leapt off the stage, trusting his fans to catch him. He played a light tune while he was carried away through the crowd. _"_ ¡Yo soy muy muy populares! _"_ he said, laughing. Finally, the fans let him down at the edge of party, near where Olaf and Sven sat at the table. He was placed down on his feet, gave them a quick nod, and walked away with his guitar.

 _"You did good Brawnstone"_ he said, walking past Sven and Olaf. " _You did good..._ "

"Wesley!" said Olaf, waving.

Wesley turned around in a flash. He looked for the source of the voice. _"_ ¿Quien era ese?"

"Over here!" said Olaf, standing up in his chair. "It's me, Olaf!"

Wesley looked at him. "Olaf? _What are you doing here South of the Border my friend?!"_

"What?" asked Olaf, unable to understand him speaking Spanish.

" _Oh, sorry about the italics. Give me a sec to adjust..._ There we go. I'm speaking English now, right?"

"Yep" said Olaf. Wes walked over, placed his black, Spanish guitar on the table, and took a seat next to them.

"So, like the show?"

"We didn't know you can sing" said Olaf. "I mean, pretty much anyone I know can sing... actually, I haven't heard anyone I know sing in a while. Weird..."

"Yeah, a certain **_SOMEONE_** lacks any musical talents... but yeah, I do a few gigs here and there. Had to expand my list of talents to put food on the table. The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was a total bust. No credible plot and don't even get me started on what they did to Rachel Weisz's character... but that's old news. So, what brings you here? You know Senor Arturo Soto?"

"Who?... No, we actually need your help. You see..." Olaf began before being interrupted by an approaching man, the father of the bride from the stage.

" _Wesley my boy!"_ he said in Spanish. _"Thank you again for performing at my daughter's wedding!"_ He came up and shook Wes's hand hard. _"I want you to know that they really appreciate your gift."_

 _"Gift?"_ said Wes. _"Wait, I'm not getting paid?"_

Arturo laughed. " _And you are funny too!"_ he said. _"And to think... ah, who is this?"_ he said, looking at Olaf and Sven. _"Oh my... is this the famous Olaf and Sven from your many tales?!"_ he said in excitement.

 _"Ah yes._ Senor Soto, let me present Olaf and Sven. Two friends of mine." he now looked at Olaf and Sven. "Go on, say hi, he speaks English."

"Oh, well hello!" said Olaf. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

" _What did I say, a one greeting guy_ " whispered Wes into Arturo's ear.

"I like him already!" said Arturo as he gave Olaf a friendly, yet hard slap on the back, sending his carrot nose out onto the table. "Oh, I'm sorry..."

Sven went to bite at it, but Olaf was too quick. "Oh that's OK. This happens all the time." He pushed it back into his face, good as new.

"Well, welcome to my home!" he said in a friendly manner. "Any friend of Wesley's is a friend of mine!"

"Well, any friend of Wesley's is also a friend of ours!" said Olaf. Sven grunted in protest, but Olaf just patted him on the head "Not now Sven" whispered Olaf, keeping a toothy grin up.

"Hey, maybe you can clear up a few things about our friend. Is it true you are the reason he wears that mask?"

"What?!" exclaimed Olaf. "You mean I'm one of his excuses for the mask?... I'm honored!" said Olaf. Sven rolled his eyes.

"I take it not even this tale is true then?" said Arturo in disappointment. Olaf shook his head. "Well, one of these days Wesley, I will discover the secret behind that mask!"

Wes just shrugged. "Good luck."

"It's either the green ogre in a land Far Far Away, or the giant metal ice-man beneath the arctic ice who burned the directions to the Cube of Rubric into your brain."

Wes just laughed. "Senior Soto, you are a gentleman and a scholar, but I'm afraid such knowledge the world is just not ready for."

"You know what I think" said a new, feminine voice. Everyone turned around to see the bride herself, Veronica, with he new husband Ernesto in hand. Veronica was a beautiful, black haird woman, in a white, finely crafted wedding dress. Ernesto was a tall figure, with light brown hair in a traditional black, Mexican tux. Not as big as Kristoff, but still taller than the average man. "I think that there is nothing behind that mask at all, and you just wear it because it's terribly comfortable."

"Ah! Olaf, Sven, let me introduce my two good friends; Ernesto and Veronica" said Wes.

"Hi!" said Olaf. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

"Gotta love him" said Wes in annoyance at Olaf's only greeting.

"It's so nice to meet the famous snowman! I was beginning to think you were yet another of Wes' tall tales!" said Ernesto.

"Hey, most of my stories are partially based off truth... to an extent" said Wes.

Then, on stage, the best man announced the cutting of the cake. "Well, that's our cue" said Arturo. "Let's meet again before you go, shall we?"

"Absolutely."

"Still, thank you again for coming Wes" said Veronica. "It would be a tragedy if you didn't come with your magnificent voice."

"It helps when you have a different voice actor do the singing parts!" said Wes. "You should hear me when I sing that Titanic song!" Everyone laughed as they left. Wes then reclined back in his chair.

"He's a nice guy" said Olaf to Wes. "Old friend?" He began drinking a cup of water the waiter gave him.

"Oh yeah. Arty gave me one of my earlier jobs after I went solo, you know, back when sought out a less then legal profession. Yep, they called me the fox of Guanajuato; the best smuggler in the Soto cartel."

Olaf spit his water out hard in surprise, covering Sven in water. " _CARTEL! SMUGGLER!_ You mean..."

"Yep. Arturo Soto is the Mexican version of the Godfather."

Olaf leaned back in his chair, giving Sven an incredulous look. More concerned with the profession of their host than being wet, Sven groaned uncomfortably. "So you mean this water is, is..."

"What? Oh no" said Wes. "That water was purchased perfectly legally... I think... Besides, the Sotos specialize in the illegal or stolen. You know, art, jewelry, brass knuckles, fireworks that are too big, imitation watches, imitation designer handbags, imitation crab, imitation cheese, pets of a dangerous nature... by the way, tigers are only cute when they are little..."

"Stop it!" said Olaf. He put his hands where his ears would be if he had them "The less I know the better!"

"Alright alright. Sheez! It's not like I do that stuff anymore. I'm clean now, remember?"

Sven snorted at Olaf.

"Sven's right. We've wasted enough time as it is. So, long story short, Anna sent us to get you because we _really_ need your help."

"Oh! You need my help! How desperate are you guys that you need _my_ help?" he said as he took a long sip of wine.

* * *

(Ten minutes of story telling later)

Wes spit his wine all over the table in astonishment. "Dragons? Did you say dragons?! As in el draque, draco, drage, drakkon?"

"That's the one" said Olaf.

"And you said Ms. Hotty was kidnapped by one?!"

"Ms. who?"

"In a land filled with elves and all sort of mystical mumble jumbo?"

"Yeah..."

Wes got up in his chair. He smashed his wine glass against the table, further exemplifying his astonishment. "That sound like Tolkien! What the heck are we doing sitting around here for?! Come on you guys! My stuff is at the check in counter..." Wes was so set on darting away, he didn't see that he was running right into some tall guy whose back was turned to him. He hit him with some force, but the man's tall stature absorbed the impact, knocking Wes backwards like he had hit a wall. The force was strong enough, however, that the man leaned forward, knocking the wine glass he was holding, spilling its contents on his expensive suit.

At that, the whole room stopped. Everyone gasped. The mariachi band stopped and the room went silent. Wes stood still with Olaf and Sven standing right behind him. The man turned around. He was a tall, built Hispanic man. He had a thick mustache and a thick patch of black hair on his head. He looked down at Wes. He was angry enough that he had spilled wine on his shirt. He was even more angry to see who it was that caused it.

"Wesley Sherman Brawnstone!" he said in a stiff Mexcian accent.

Wes just stood firm. "Pablo Enrique de la Rodriguez Paula Jose de Antonio Raul Estevez!" Wes shot back. "We meet again."

"Sherman?" asked Olaf.

"Not now" whispered back Wes.

"How long has it been, _amigo_?" said Pablo.

"Too long" said Wes. By this time, the crowd surrounding him backed off, forming a circle of sorts around the two.

"I swore the next time I saw you I'd flatten your face."

"Uh, what's wrong with this tall gentleman" asked Olaf, tapping Wes' back.

"Oh, Pablo and I go way back."

"We used to be amigos" said Pablo. "Best of friends. But that was before Penelope!"

"Really hot chick we knew back in the day" explained Wes.

Olaf gasped. "You fought over a woman?"

"She was my woman!" said Pablo. "But then you snuck in with your exotic charm and sophisticated language!"

"This guy?" asked Olaf, pointing at Wes.

"Well, I am the foreigner here. What can I say, chicks dig me."

"She was my girlfriend!" screamed Pablo, smashing his fist against the table.

"Oh would you just get over it! You were broken up, remember!?"

"She was going to come back to me you little ladrón de chicas!"

"Why are you still mad? She ended up marrying Bob anyway!"

"But it was you her turned her against me in the first place!" Pablo shouted emotionally.

"Oh don't go all Anakin on me!" said Wes.

"Guys! Guys!" siad Olaf, jumping in between the two. "Can we settle this like civilized people? We are at a wedding, right?"

Their was a moment of silent. Then, an outburst from the bride herself. "Oh let them fight already!" At that, the crowd joined in, shouting encouragement.

"Really?!" said Olaf.

"Mafia family" said Wes. "They like to settle things with violence."

"I'm going to pound you into the ground little man!" screamed Pablo. He ripped off his suit, only wearing his wine stained white shirt.

As the crowds cheered them on, Wes started jumping lightly, loosening his joints. He cracked his neck, then his knuckles, and took a crouching, wrestling stance. Pablo smiled, then took a step closer.

For a moment, time froze in Wes' head.

 _My advantage, his rage. His strength... the guy's a raged bull on steroids, he has nothing but strength..._ Now Wes imagined his plan of attack, imagining the how the battle will play out in his head.

 _First, dodge right jab. Punch right elbow with upper cut. Spin, then elbow to gut. Avoid grab for throat, then step on toe. Dodge headbut. Discombobulate. Headbut back. Subject now dazed. Spin kick to gut. Prepare for retaliation. Dodge left jab, then right. Avoid kick. Now, leap up in air. Wrap legs around head. Do a Black Widow and flip him around down to ground. Final jab to head. Stand, and revel in a glorious victory._

Wes took a few breathes to calm his nerves. Then, the fight officially beginning, he went and dodged his right jab.

Pablo smashed his left fist against Wes' masked face, sending his smaller opponent flying back and against Sven, knocking him down. The crowds cheered at his agony.

"Arrrrrgh" he groaned. "Forgot he was left handed!" He squealed when Pablo picked him up and, using his superior strength over the much lighter Wes, proceeded swing his body like a rag doll, smashing him repeatedly into the ground, back and forth. Wes said "ow" each time his face came into contact with the ground.

"We gotta do something!" said Olaf. He looked at Wes. "You gotta break it up!"

Sven was previously joining the crowd in the cheering, but seeing Olaf, he quickly hid his cheering. He sighed, then bowed his head and charged at Pablo. He smashed into the large man with his antlers, sending him crashing into the crowds. He let go of Wes, letting him fall one last time face first into the ground.

When Pablo was sent smashing into the crowds, he created a domino effect of people. The last person to get bumped lost balance of a plate of cake he was eating and sent it flying into a woman, covering her in icing. He laughed. Then she punched him. He was sent back, hitting another man. His honor defiled, he then punched him. In an escalation of similar events, much of the guests broke out into localized fights.

As chaos ensued, Olaf and Sven tried to wake Wes up. "Wes! Can you hear me?!" asked Olaf.

"Mushu... is that you?" asked Wes in a daze.

"Wes!" said Olaf as he slapped him across the face.

"Ow! What the heck! Are you trying to give me a concussion!"

"Wes! Elsa, dragons! Big guy trying to kill you!" he said as he pointed Wes' face to Pablo, who had gotten back up and was pushing his way through the fighting guests to beat up Wes some more.

"Yikes!" said Wes, jumping to his feet. "Time to go!"

"Great! I got the capsules right here..."

"Wait! I need to get my stuff from the front counter!"

"There's no time!"

"I am not leaving without my Angela and Topanga! Or my hat. You keep Pablo busy!" With that, Wes ran to the front of the mansion, where all the weapons and personal effects were stored, leaving Olaf and Sven to deal with Pablo.

"Where did he go!?" roared Pablo, losing sight of Wes in the madness. Olaf gulped when he made eye contact with them. "You two!"

Olaf immediately hopped on Sven's back. "Run Sven! Run like the colors of the wind!" Sven didn't needed to be told twice as he took of at a full gallop. Despite his four legs, Pablo kept pace with them as they darted around the fighting people, leaping over tables and rounding pillars in the process. "I hope Wes doesn't take too long!"

At a table set up in the front hallway, Wes found himself in a heated debate with the older lady in charge of checking in weapons and other personal belongings not permitted in the wedding.

" _And you said it's '_ Gladstone _?'"_

 _"_ Brawnstone! _"_ exclaimed Wes, losing his patience. _"For the seventh time it's_ Brawnstone _!"_

 _"OK, let me go check again."_ She went back into a closet. Moments later she came out with a small dog. _"_ Flintstone?"

"¡Ay de mí!" Wes whined, smashing his head against the table.

Meanwhile, Sven and Olaf galloped around with Pablo on their tale. "Oh dear! Look what we've done!" said Olaf, noticing how the pleasant wedding turned into a brawl. "This is what we get for crashing a wedding! Imagine what the poor bride must be saying!"

By chance, they pass Veronica. She had just punched a guy in the face, while her husband had another guy in a headlock. " _This is exactly how I envisioned my wedding when I was a little girl!_ " she cried.

" _So, shalt we depart on our honeymoon_?" asked Ernesto.

 _"Absolutely!"_ she said. _"Just let me throw this..."_ Her maid of honor appears, handing her her bouquet. Veronica then throws it up in the air behind her. By chance, Olaf catches it.

"Ooh! I caught the bouquet!" said Olaf. "I'm getting married next!"

Sven, looking up at Olaf, didn't see the low hanging banner of decorative, white cloth hanging low. By the time he looked forward again, he face got caught in it, covering his eyes. It broke free of the ceiling and was now flowing behind them. Running blind, Sven just ran straight, crashing through one of the large windows facing the outside gardens.

"I hope they have insurance" said Olaf as they ran outside through the gardens, shards of glass covering the ground. They ran through the gardens, back around and in the front of the mansion, Pablo still on their tale.

"Where is Brawnstone?!" he asked angrily.

In an instant, Wesley appeared, clothed now in his usual attire in a blue puff of smoke. "¡Aqu¡ estoy!" he said. Standing in just the right spot, he held out his fist, letting Pablo run into it. Unable to stop, his face came into contact with Wes' fist. His body flipped around and he landed flat on his back, groaning and dazed.

"Wesley!" screamed Olaf. "Not that I don't appreciate your friends, but can we please go before we cause more trouble?!"

"Absolutly" said Wes. "I think we've outdone ourselves this chapter, not to mention I passed my reference limit..."

Just then, a man comes flying out the front window. Climbing out is Arturo himself. Wesley waves goodbye. "Adios mi amigo!"

"Senor Brawnstone!" he waves happily. _"As usual, you make our parties more memorable!"_

"Ah, it's good to see old friends!" said Wes. Having all his possessions with him, he slips out a capsule. Olaf takes his out of his bag and tosses another to Sven. "Oh, and one more thing..."

"Home!" Olaf said along with Sven. All they cared about right now was to get home and away from this place. I nan instant, they were gone.

"Sheez. I was going to say we never had to say out loud where we want to go. We only have to think it. But, if you want to continue to do things the old way..." Wes crushed his capsule, thinking of Arendelle, and was gone.

* * *

 **(Present time, Arendelle)**

Anna face palmed herself at the end of the story. "Wes, you mean to tell me you got poor Olaf and Sven caught up in a personal battle with an overly aggressive man you angered in college?"

"And introduced them to my Mexican mafia friends!"

Anna pinched the crease between her eyes. "Yes, and that! Thank you Wes!" she said sarcastically.

"My pleasure!"

Anna shook her head. "Let's save this for a later date. Did Olaf manage to tell you what is going on here?"

"Ah yes. Dragons, elves, prophecies, smokin' hot sister kidnapped. Got it."

"Elsa's engaged!... well almost... never mind! We need your help!"

"Anything for my 'Frozen' friends! He he. See how I got the title in there..."

"Awesome! Come on, you're going to convince your criminal brother to lead us to the Lands North!"

"Puh! Easy! Just let me... WHAT?!"

* * *

 **I've been waiting for this chapter for a while now! Wes at his best. If you've watch the Peanuts movie, you would know that the song Wes sang is the same one Snoopy danced to in the film. It's called "Bamboleo!" By the Gypsy Kings.**

 **Although I have Hispanic blood in me, I could never pick up on the Spanish language to well. Unable to put in subtitles, I played around with the italics to indicate when one was speaking in Spanish or not. Hope none of you were too confused.**

 **So let's see, that's... three, four... fourteen references in this one, including the Peanuts one. Can you name them all?**

 **See you next chapter, where we return to Berglia!**

 **-Batman**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Return to Berglia

* * *

"So let me get this straight. In order to get your sister back from a dragon, who is somewhere on the vast peninsular/island of the "Lands North", you want to seek help from the guy who tired to both take over an entire kingdom, and the rest of the continent by using the said sister as a weapon, and he was willing to let a pregnant woman die, that being you, to get it. And this is assuming he won't lead us astray or something more horrible?"

Wes chased Anna down the hallways of the castle while. She was on her way to the shipyards, where Kristoff and the others were making preparations for the journey. Upon hearing that Anna was looking to recruit his insane half-brother Lars to lead them there, Wes couldn't help but get the uneasy feeling that he was the most sane person in the room for once.

"Yep" said Anna, not even bothering to turn around as she pushed open the main castle doors, entering the courtyard.

"But that's insane. You can't trust him, and this is coming from a blood relative... wow." He stopped once they stepped outside. Wes took notice of the damage brought on by the dragons. The cleanup effort came to a halt. It was still a few hours until sun-up, and everyone was exhausted. Anna, of course, couldn't sleep even if she tried. "This all happened in one night?"

"Yes" said Anna with a sullen voice.

"Man. Must have been some battle. Wish I was here for it..."

"No you wouldn't!" snapped Anna. She turned around, forcing Wes to stop in his tracks. "People died here Wes. _Family_ died here!"

Wes shut up. He didn't put on a serious face often, but now seemed as good as time as any. "Who?" he asked solemnly.

Anna looked down. "Pabbie... Grand Pabbie died."

Wes could only look down. He never met the troll in person. He knew about him after questioning Kristoff on his relatives. He thought it was weird at the time, to be raised by trolls, and it did explain the smell. He envisioned him as a Papa Smurf kind of guy: Old, wise, and having all the answers. "Sorry" he said solemnly.

Anna sighed. "It's OK. Not really, but, well..."

"Yeah, I get it" said Wes, meaning it.

Anna shook her head. "But if he were here, he would say something along the lines of "the living come first" or something. And right now, my living sister has been kidnapped, and I have to find her."

"But with Lars' help?" said Wes, snapping out of his serious mode. "I mean, yeah he knows how to get there, but is it worth the risk? Are you sure your elf friend can't find his way back?"

"You were there before. Was it easy?"

"I slept the whole way..." Anna raised an eyebrow. "What? I hate long trips. Besides, I usually just get to where I need to go in an instant via me transport capsules."

"Well, those capsules won't get us there... I know, that's the first thing I tried."

"Yeah, pain in the butt. I don't know why, but every once in a while I come across a location that blocks these things. Talk about limited coverage."

"Aw, gee" said Anna sarcastically. "Guess you'll have to take the long way like the rest of the world."

"I know!" Wes whined.

"Oh quit whining! Come on. I need to talk to Kristoff before we go to Berglia."

"Dang it! I hoped you forgot about that!" Wesley reluctantly followed with raised shoulders. Then, he looked up. "Hey, what's with the snow? I thought it was July?"

* * *

Anna took a reluctant Wes to the docks, with Olaf and Sven trailing behind. The city was in disarray, with the citizens scurrying about, buying up supplies, preparing for the worse. The immediate threat may be gone, but given the snow had yet to stop, no one was taking chances. With the queen gone, Anna feared panic would take root. She began to wonder if the snow was any indication as to Elsa's emotional state.

Finally, they reached the docks. Kristoff was coming off one of the boats as bags and boxes of supplies were being loaded on. He waved to Anna, noticing Wes with them.

"Ah, I take it you're helping us then?"

"Against my better judgment. The snowman failed to mention my specific role..."

"I forgot" said Olaf.

"Oh, _sure_ you did!"

"So you think you can convince him?" asked Kristoff. "More importantly, do you think you con convince him to not try anything?" he asked, dreading the whole plan altogether.

"Well, let's see...

1: Lars has been known to go low. Like, really low. And I think you know how low.

2: He's got his agendas, and an agenda behind that agenda and another behind that. And he's never let anything, and I do mean _anything_ get in the way of those agendas.

3: He's smart. Like, like _really_ smart. I can't even count the books and scrolls he's studied. He's a learned man."

"You mean educated" corrected Anna.

"No, it's learned" said Wes.

"I'm pretty sure it's educated" insisted Anna.

Wes smiled, shaking his head. "Wow. And people saying _I'm_ no good at grammatically."

Anna went to open her mouth to point out the horribly phrased sentence, but Kristoff just covered her mouth with his hand, shaking his head. "So, you're saying this is a horrible idea."

"Without putting too fine a point on it, yeah."

"But" said Anna, stepping around Kristoff. "Is it possible that you could get him to cooperate?"

"Um, yeah. Here's the thing... I'm partially responsible for him being in that prison."

"But you're brothers."

"So were Cain and Able."

"Oh, that's just one example..."

"King Richard and Prince John, Claudius and Hamlet, Mufasa and Scar..."

"OK I get it!" snapped Anna. Then she became sincere, pleading even. "Wes, listen to me. Whatever bad blood you have with Lars, and despite the fact that he is evil, he is in fact Elsa's only chance. If there were any other way, I would take it, but there isn't. Can you at least _try_ to persuade him? Please?" Anna asked pleadingly.

Wes just shook his head. He looked down, frowning slightly as if in deep thought. For a brief moment, he looked conflicted. If Anna didn't know any better, she would have said he was afraid to see Lars.

Finally, Wes spoke. "Well, since you ask nicely, I guess I can give it a sho..."

"Thank you!" said Anna, wrapping Wes in a death grip hug. Wes's eyes nearly popped out of his head as she squeezed him "Thankyouthankyouthankyou..."

Wes tried to push her off, but was surprised by her vice like grip. He couldn't even say anything, not without air in his lungs. Finally, having seen Wes's face turn blue, and his scrambling arms and legs trying to break free, Kristoff intervened.

"OK Anna, I think he gets it" he says as he pats her on the shoulder.

"Huh?" she asks. Then she sees Wes's blue skin. "Oh gee! Sorry!" she says as she finally lets go. "Are you alright?"

He took a deep breathe. He grabbed his throat, coughing dramatically, then fell to his knees. "Good Lord woman!" he takes another breathe. "Do you take performance enhancing drugs or something?!"

* * *

The trip to Berglia was much shorter than last time, thanks to the teleportation capsules. Kristoff, Anna and Wes went alone, while Jase and the others finished loading the ship with supplies. They appeared right in the middle of the courtyard in a puff of blue smoke. It was still night out, though the sun's rays could be seen inching over the horizon.

"Well, here we are!" said Wes. "Pismo beach, and all the clams we can eat!"

"Really?" asked Kristoff.

"Hey, it's not too late. Just a left turn at Albuquerque and we feast."

"Wesley, you do remember why we're here, right?"

"Yes, hence why I want to go anywhere else."

Two guards rushed out from the castle gates, holding their spears up and ready. "Halt, who goes..." they stopped, recognizing their faces. "Princess Anna?" one of the guards asked.

"Yes, and Prince Kristoff and Mr. Brawnstone" said Anna.

"He he, _Prince_ " muttered Wes in a low voice. Kristoff held back a groan.

The two guards immediately bowed their heads out of respect. "How may we be of service?"

"We need to meet with King Gideon, please" said Anna. "It's a matter of life and death."

The guards were quick to escort the trio into the throne room while they sent a third guard to wake the king. They waited in the throne room for almost ten minutes before a set of doors were pushed open. The first to greet them was not Gideon, but his younger, ice wielding sister.

"Oh my gosh!" Princess Kira squealed, unable to contain her excitement. She was still in her nightgown, too excited to even think about changing into something more presentable. "Anna!"

"Kira!" Anna said in the same excitement. They both ran up and hugged each other, jumping with happiness.

"Puh, women. They never grow up, do they Wes..." said Kristoff, crossing his arms. He turned, seeing Wes licking a lollypop he pulled seemingly out of nowhere. Wes looked up.

"What?" he asked. Kristoff just rolled his eyes.

"It's so good to see you again Kira!" said Anna to Kira.

"I haven't seen you since the wedding!" she said. About a year ago, Gideon was married to Lady Merissa, a noblewoman from a province north of Berglia. It was bittersweet time in their lives. While they celebrated the addition of a new family member, they also lost one in their mother's passing a few months prior. At the very least, she got to see her long lost daughter again.

"How's Matthew?" Kira asked.

"Oh he's just fine. Giving me a run for my money as usual. How are things here?"

"Oh, everything's great." She looked over to Kristoff and Wes. "Oh my gosh, you're here too?!" she said.

"Oh, now she notices us" Wes muttered.

"Hello Kira" waved Kristoff.

"Oh, I have some exciting new to tell you all, but I think Gideon and Merissa would want to be here."

"Oh, Ok. I guess we can wa..." said Anna.

"I'm going to be an aunt!"

"What!? Aaaaaah!" Anna squealed in astonishment. "Oh, congratulations!"

"Thank you! Oh, so many happy things going on!"

"Yeah... right" said Anna. For a moment there, Anna forgot her troubles. She remembered the night she had had, and the reason they were here.

Kira heard the tone in her voice. "What's wrong?"

Before Anna could answer, Gideon and his wife, Merissa, came into the room. They had the decency to dress accordingly; Gideon in his suit with corresponding medals, and Merissa in a light blue dress. "Princess Anna" greeted Gideon. "Prince Kristoff, Mr. Brawnstone, welcome back. It's always a pleasure to have you."

"Hello King Gideon" Anna said, bowing slightly. "Congratulations!" she said to both of them.

Gideon looked to Merissa, then to his younger sister. "You told them, didn't you?"

Kria smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Gideaon sighed. "It's alright."

"Thank you" said Merissa. She was a black haired woman, older than Anna, but younger than Elsa. it was still early, but she did have a light bump on her belly.

"So" he yawned. "What can I do for you at this hour?"

"Yeah, sorry for waking you up, but..." Anna paused.

"Something happened in Arendelle" continued Kristoff.

* * *

Ten minutes passed as Kristoff and Anna relayed what had happened not more than a few hours prior. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. News of Klydrun spread soon after his identity was revealed, so the elf and the troll wasn't too hard to grasp. It was the fire breathing dragons that blew their minds.

Kira looked petrified; an attack, and a kidnapping. Her friends deserved no such thing. "Where did they take her?" she asked, referring to Elsa.

"We don't know" said Kristoff. "Except that they took her to the Lands North. That is where we need to go now."

"But the maps were lost" noticed Gideon.

"The maps, yes... but there is still one who knows the way by memory."

"Who" he asked.

Kristoff hesitated to answer. He looked to Anna, then back to Gideon. "He's in your dungeons."

It took Kira two seconds to process who they were talking about. Her eyes widened as horrid memories filled her head. "No!" she nearly shouted. "No, that's not happening!"

Gideon looked to Kira, then back to Anna, baffled by their request. "Are you mad? Have you forgotten what that man did to us? To you?"

"I remember" said Anna. "If there was another way, any way, I would take it. We don't have a choice."

"You can't let him out!" said Kira.

"Kira, wait" said Merissa. "Let's think this through..."

"No!" Kira shouted, snapping at her sister-in-law. "No he is supposed to stay locked up for the rest of his life!" She took a breathe. "That was the end of it."

Gideon stood still, conflicted with the facts presented before him. He looked at Wesley, who had remained silent behind Kristoff and Anna. "Don't you remember anything about the time you were there in the North? How to get there?"

Wes stood still. There was tension in the room, and he wasn't a fan of tension, unless it was purposely annoying someone he didn't like. Anything he said could result in more tension. "Uh, well, not really..."

"Even if he remembered part of the way, one wrong turn could get us lost forever" said Kristoff. "Gideon, I don't like this. I was against this from the start, still am, but every second we waste here is another second Elsa spends in the enemy's hands. We need Lars to navigate."

"He's not leaving that cell!" said Kira in a surprisingly stern voice. Just a few minutes ago, she was ecstatic to see her friends. Now, she was shaking her head. The room grew slightly colder now.

Gideon felt the drop in temperature. He immediately rushed over to his younger sister. "Kira, Kira calm down" he said in a cool voice.

Kira noticed the room growing cold. She felt the magic stirring up in her, but was too distraught to give it much thought. She took a deep breathe, then tried to calm herself. Instead, all she could see was years of brainwashing. Years of lost childhood while a madman experimented on how to better control her, to better push her powers beyond their limits.

Gideon reached out and held her shoulders. "Kira, are you alright?" he asked. The room grew colder, and ice began to form from her feet out onto the floor. Anna was used to this back home, but noticed Elsa's panic attacks usually had much more dramatic outburst of magic. Where Elsa would cover the room in frost, Kira merely frosted the floor by her feet, with the room growing only slightly chilly.

Kira took a few labored breathes. She kept her eyes low, focused on her ice. Seconds pass, and the ice vanishes, dissolving into nothing. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She looked at him, still with that stern, cold voice. "Gideon, you can't let him out again."

"Kira..." he paused. "Kira, they have no choice..."

"No, no there has to be another way. There's always another way." She was looking at him with pleading eyes now.

Gideon sighed. He shook his head. "Not this time I'm afraid, not when time is of the essence." Hearing this, Kira turned her head.

She then shook her head. "Fine" she said sternly but silently. "Fine go ahead" she said, showing little emotion. "Watch what happens when you do" she said coldly." She then turned and left the room, walking rigidly over to the one of the side doors leading into a hallway, slamming it shut.

Gideon turned back around and faced Anna and Kristoff. "You can go speak with him. If you can convince him to lead you, take him."

Anna nodded. She understood where Kira was coming from, and Gideon for that matter. "She didn't mean what she said" he finished.

"I know" said Anna. "And thank you."

* * *

Lars's predicament had changed little in the four yeas he had been incarcerated. While the other prisoners were able to bathe and at least have the ability to request books to alleviate the boredom, Lars was given no such privileges. He was still in the very clothes he was in when he was thrown in that cell. Neither did he receive visitors, though no one wanted to see him anyway. He was not even given the companionship of other prisoners, as he was in a solitary cell in some deep, dark place of the prison. His only luxury was a small barred window.

Still, he somehow kept his sanity by meditating in one spot, his legs crossed and his arms outstretched to his sides. He found escape by diving deep into thought, where time seemed to fly by. Though this wouldn't keep him sane forever, it bought time for when he knew for sure he would be receiving visitors. That time had now come.

He heard the doors open up the stone staircase. It was too early for breakfast, so he allowed his hopes to rise. Coming down the staircase first was his usual guard, followed by Kristoff, then by Anna, then further behind by a nervous looking Wes. They found Lars on the floor with his legs crossed in a meditation stance. He smiled.

"Well, it's about time you guys paid me a visit" he said with a sly smile. His dark red beard was almost twelve inches long now, and his hair was long and wild. Kristoff and Anna didn't say a word. "And my brother too? Finally came to pay your only kin a visit?"

Wes gulped. "Hey, Lars old buddy old pal? How's it hanging?"

Lars showed now emotion. "Going mad. Thank you for asking." He didn't even look at Wes. Wes just stepped back, showing the rare emotion of nervousness. Kristoff glanced at his hand, noticing that he was shaking slightly, and his eyes were looking around at anything but the cell in front of him. Real emotions were hard to find on the comical character, and this was the first time he noticed a lack of confidence in this man. "So" Lars continued, "where's your queen? I'm predicting she is just up those stairs."

"Elsa's not here" said Kristoff sternly. Lars raised an eyebrow. "She was taken by a dragon."

Lars leaned back for a second, opening his mouth slightly. "Fascinating."

"Oh stop living it up!" spat Anna. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't..."

"...Need my help to guide you to the Lands North?" he said, finishing Anna's sentence. Anna and Kristoff looked on in surprise. Lars then pushed himself off the floor, standing up straight with his arms folded behind his back. "I figured you would need my help sooner or later. The Lights out my window have been putting on quite a show, don't you think?"

Anna's eyes widened. "You, you know about the Northern Lights?" she asked, surprised.

Lars snickered with a grin. He took a quick look over to the wall of his cell, gesturing Anna and Kristoff to look over as well. When they did, they saw that it was covered in words, carved in stone using crude instruments. Upon reading them, Anna grew angry. It was the same prophecy Jethro and Marge showed them just the day before, or was it two days now?

"You knew!" she said. "You knew about the prophecy!"

"I know many things" said Lars, turning his back towards them. "I have studied these sorts of things for a long time now..."

"You planned this!" said Kristoff angrily. "You knew we would need to go North, and you kept it to yourself! For your ticket out of here!"

"Planned this?!" Lars spat, turning around to face them with a stern glare. "You think I planned for my ship to be burned and my crew dispersed! I almost had it all! I almost had everything! And it was that!" he pointed to the prophecy on the wall. "...that that took all that away!" he looked to Anna. "Your sister was strong, yes. Did I believe she was the one this prophecy referred to? No! I would have never picked a fight with fate! Only fools choose such battles!" he then looked away. "In the end, I was the fool. Choosing to be blind when my own crew knew she was too powerful to be just another ice wielder. Had I listened to them, I might be in a very different place right now."

"Oh boo hoo!" said Anna mockingly. "We can care less that your maniacal plan failed! All I care about is finding my sister and bringing her back!"

Lars looked at her. He laughed. "So, you too wish to pick a fight with destiny?"

"Elsa is not some... prophesied savior, alright? She's just the Queen of Arendelle and my sister. That's all she is and that's all she ever wanted! Now are you going to help us or not?!"

Lars stroked his beard. "For freedom, maybe."

Anna shut here eyes. "You know we can't give you that."

Lars smiled. "Then come back when you can give me that. Otherwise, you can kiss your precious sister goodbye."

"Lars" Wes said suddenly, taking a timid step forward. "Hey, come on man" he said with less then half his usual confidence. "Maybe there is something else we can give you? Maybe a fresh set of clothes?" he sniffed the air. "Or a bath?"

Lars stood up. He glared at Wes, who remained motionless. "So that's it then? You've decided to turn honest on me? You like your new friends better than me? Huh? Your own brother!" he snapped.

Wes remained still. He narrowed his eyes slightly, glaring at Lars. His timidness gave way to emotion, specifically anger. Neither the prince nor princess ever saw such an emotion in him before, and it was odd to say the least. He twisted his neck, cracking it. He took a deep breathe, then said to Anna and Kristoff over his shoulder "Can we have a minute? Please?"

Anna and Kristoff looked to each other, shrugged, then nodded. "Alright" Anna said. "Five minutes." Anna, Kristoff, and the guard at the door left, closing the solid iron door with a loud bang.

* * *

Thirty minutes passed. Anna and Kristoff waited outside the door patiently, hoping Wes could work some kind of miracle.

"Maybe we can just force him to go" said Anna. "It's not like he has any rights right now."

"He'll probably get us lost on purpose if we force him" said Kristoff. "Actually, there's a good chance he will do that anyway."

"Not if he gets lost too."

"The guy has nothing to loose Anna." Kristoff crossed his arms. "I don't know what we were thinking. This is just a waist of time."

"And what's the alternative?" Anna asked, crossing her arms.

Kristoff sighed. "I know. I know." He then turned around, pacing the hallway. "It's a bad choice. I know it's our only chance at getting her back, but it's a bad choice."

"You think I don't know that?" asked Anna. "The guy left me and Matty for dead. If there's anyone who should be afraid of having him lead the way it's me." Anna closed her eyes. "This is just a crazy night, and thing's are moving so fast..." she stopped, pinching her eyes to keep from making a scene.

"I know" said Kristoff. He went and hugged his wife, pulling her close. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He patted her back. "And we will get Elsa back."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I know so. It'll be a sinch. This is, what, the fourth time now?"

"Yeah... wait, four?"

"Yeah, I know right?"

He stopped when the doors opened up. Out came Wes, calm as could be, with no hint of any emotional reaction to his and Lars' conversation. "Oky doky, he's on board."

"What, really?" asked Anna. "Just like that?"

"Yep! All he wants is a fresh pair of cloths.. oh, and some Charles Dickens to read when he gets back, but other than that, he's agreed to go back to his cell."

"So, that's it?" asked Kristoff. "You managed to convince him to go on a dangerous mission for some clothes and a few books?"

"Hey, I'm a master of persuasion."

Anna sighed in relief. "Wesley Brawnstone, you are a life saver!"

"Oh, it was nothing. I mean sure, I had to bring up some issues buried so deep in my subconscious that I forgot they existed, but thankfully my super ego's got a hardware store full of shovels, so all's well!" Wes grinned, hiding all traces that something was wrong, though his twitchy eye gave them cause of concern. "Anyway, I suggest we give him a bath first. Woowee does he smell bad!" he said, waving his hand in front of his nose.

"Awesome!" said Anna. "So, we're going back upstairs to see Gideon. Meet us back up their with Lars in ten minutes, got it?"

"Oky doky!" said Wes, giving a mock salute. "You can rely on me!"

* * *

Ten minutes passed, and Anna and Kristoff were ready with Gideon, Merissa, and about two dozen guards in the throne room, awaiting Wes and Lars. They noticed that Kira wasn't here.

"Thank you again" said Anna. "I know this isn't easy."

"There's no need for that" said Gideon reassuredly. "There is no favor to great for our friends in Arendelle." Anna and Kristoff nodded with sincerity. "I'm only sorry Kira won't be able to say goodbye."

"Is she alright?" asked Anna.

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine" he said. "This is just, hard for her. For a while, she has been able to put away the idea of his very existence. This has, stirred up some memories in her."

"I understand" she said. Just then, Two doors opened up, letting in four guards. They were followed by Wes, then by Lars. He was given a bath, and a half descent haircut. His beard is not only half length, and his hair seemed significantly shorter, but still longer than most men's. He was given a simple shirt and pants, nothing fancy or special. he certainly smelled better. He was led with hand cuffs around his wrists, and four additional guards behind him. Gideon pulled Merissa back, but the guards stopped just before them. The lead guard took Lars by the shackles, then handed him to Wes.

"He's all yours" he said. Wes nodded. Instead of grabbing some chain, he simply walked before Lars, who followed without having to be told twice.

"Ready?" Wes asked as he pulled out four capsules from his shirt pocket. Anna and Kristoff picked theirs up, then Lars picked one up in his hand. Anna and Kristoff bowed to Gideon and Merissa, and they did likewise.

"Good luck" said Gideon.

"Our prayers will be with you" said Merissa.

"Thank you said Kristoff. Then, one by one, they crushed their capsules, vanishing into a puff of blue smoke. Lars shot Gideon one last look, then vanished, followed by Wes.

* * *

Gideon searched for his sister in her room, the kitchen, and the hallways, but found no trace of her. The last place he checked, her favorite place, was where he found her. The castle gardens hadn't been the same since Kira returned. Where before were more traditional flowers, hedges and lawns, Kira converted it into a little project area of sorts, where she potted plants, grew fruits and vegetables, and even had a little aviary of birds and animals she rescued. Not exactly something a princess took to, but no one dared to tell her otherwise. Call it disdain for being inside all the time, she relished every moment in the fresh, _free_ air.

Gideon walked through the raised beds of carrots, beans, tomatoes, and various other edible plants, along with some small fruit trees and flowers. He passed the shed where she kept most of her pots, dirt and shovels, but it wasn't until he found the little aviary when he finally saw her, hunched down, petting a young orphan fox. In the early morning, the exotic birds began chirping, flocking around her, waiting for breakfast. Two rabbits and a skunk too came out from hiding. Her head was down, and he noticed her shaky hand petting the fox, and a tear running down her cheek.

"They look hungry" he said, hoping to start out on a light note.

Upon seeing him, she immediately darted up, wiping a tear from her red eyes. "I wasn't crying!" she immediately said. "I, uh, I was just... someone cut an onion."

"Hey, it's alright" he said. "I understand."

Kira frowned. She looked down, then sat on the ground. She wrapped her arms around her curled legs. The young fox then curled up next to her feet. "No you don't" she said. "How could you?"

Gideon now sat down one the ground next to her. "Alright, so maybe I don't, at least not fully. I do understand what pain that man has caused this family."

Kira shrugged. "I guess so." She wiped her running nose with her sleeve. "He's not in that prison cell, is he?" Gideon nodded. Kira sighed, and then remained quiet for a minute. "Listen, I'm sorry about acting up earlier, in front of our friends. I didn't mean to treat them like that, really."

"I know that, and I think they do too."

"I mean, Elsa's been kidnapped... I hope she's alright."

"I hope so too" said Gideon.

"I mean I just... I don't know. You know I couldn't sleep the first few months coming home, because I thought, if I dropped my guard, he would come back, and take me away again, from my home."

"I know" said Gideon.

Kira contemplated on her next choice of words. "It's like, I had to know, I had to reassure myself, every night, that he was still in that cell." She paused. "I even had a guard check in on him every night, just to make sure he was locked up. I thought, well I guess I forced myself to think, that as long as I always knew where he was, that I would be safe. And now..." she stopped.

"Now you're not so sure where he is?"

Kira shook her head. "I'm being selfish, aren't I?"

"No you're not. You're angry. I understand that, and they do to."

She sighed, burying her face even further behind her crossed arms, only her red eyes showing. "I owe them, and I yelled at them. I couldn't even see them off, or wish them luck or anything."

"Kira..."

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Elsa. None of us would. And when she needed our help the most, I refused."

"You didn't refuse."

"Only because you made that decision for me!" Kira almost shouted, more at herself than anything. "You had to step in and do what I couldn't. Don't you see, I'll never be free of him. I'm still his prisoner. Even when he's not here I'm afraid of him." Kira looked down, closing her eyes. "I need to know that's he's not unaccounted for. I need to know where he is, that he's not going to sneak up and take me again."

She paused for a minute. She sniffled. "I, I just want to be alone right now."

Gideon nodded. "Alright." He got up. "If you need me, or Merissa, we're here to listen if you want to talk, alright?" he said. Kira nodded. With that, he left quietly, leaving her with her animals.

Kira was alone now, with her thoughts. The birds now landed on her shoulders and her head, but there was little they could do to cheer her up. The more she tried to reassure herself that Lars wasn't going to take her again, the more she found herself worrying about it. It grew so unbearable, and yet there was nothing she could do about it.

 _Or was there?_

* * *

 **Wow, that was longer than expected!**

 **It's been a while since I wrote Kira, and given how she was pretty much controlled in the last story, I literally had a ton to fill in on her character. First off, she had to be different then Elsa, especially since they had the powers in common. I decided to go along a tomboyish angle with her, though not to a large extent. I haven't really seen that used heavily in any other princess, so I figured I give it a spin. Defiantly more character building in the future, and boy do I have some bits and pieces of her personality to show.**

 **See you later. I currently have another commission done by Comickergirl, aka Sarah Leuver, but that scene has not come up yet, and won't be until a few more chapters, so I'm going to wait before posting it on my Tumblr. I'm really excited about that scene and can't wait to show you all!**

 **Thank you all who have followed and reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback!**

 **-Batman**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Imagine Dragons

(I do not own the band 'Imagine Dragons')

 **To my Guest reader who asked what is going on with Elsa, your answer is in the latter two thirds of this chapter.**

* * *

While Anna, Kristoff, and Wes were in Berglia, Jase was left to make sure the ship was ready for departure. The ship in question was actually a yacht of sorts, an uncommon ship in this time in this part of the world. It was not the biggest ship in the Royal Fleet, it didn't even have any cannons, and only one level below decks. At most, it could squeeze 15 people, maybe 16, but no more than that with luggage. It was long, with two large sail overhead. Still Jethro insisted on this ship for its speed and maneuverability, both of which would determine life or death through the hazardous passage to the Lands North.

"I still don't know about this" said Jase as he came back up from below deck. Above him, Jethro was hanging from one of the masts, checking some rope or something above him. Jase wasn't exactly an experienced sailor, so he knew little about ship dynamics. Jethro, he thought, looked at home above him. "I still think this thing looks kind of, well, fragile."

"Anything bigger and we'll get stuck on the rocks" yelled Jethro from up above.

"What if we run into a dragon, or a sea serpent or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" said Jethro. "Sea monster's don't exist" he pulled one of his knots tight. "Not to my knowledge at least."

"Right" said Jase. "But still, we can bring more men, more backup in case anything goes wrong."

"All we need to do is to get through the passage. Once we enter the Land's North, Shamrock will be more than willing to provide assistance."

"Shamrock?" asked Jase. It reminded him of Skouch's words about the elf, about him being a captain. "Your home kingdom?"

"That's the one" said Jehtro. He stood up and, walking as if on solid ground, walked across the beam to the starboard side to check the other ropes.

"So, _Captain_ of Shamrock?" asked Jase as he crossed his arms, asking as if expecting a life story or something.

Jethro froze in mid knot. After a moment, he continued. "Yep. That's me" he said matter of factly, leaving pride out of his words.

"You failed to mention that" said Jase.

Jethro finished his knot. "It's, not something I like to boast about. It's a duty, not a title."

"Yeah I get that. Still, would help establish credibility."

"I'm a mythical creature from a mythical land. Somehow I doubt that that would improve my credibility."

"Touche" Jase laughed.

"JETRHO!" screamed the old troll Marge, walking up the gangplank. She was cranky, as usual. "What are you doing up there?!"

"Checking the masts, what does it look like?"

"You're going to break your neck and then I'll never here the end of it!"

"Marge, we've been over this; I've done this a thousand times! Besides, my reflexes are way better than yours you old troll!"

"Is that another smart remark about trolls!?"

Jase silently moved away as the argument between friends carried on. He walked down the gangplank to head back to the castle to see if there was anything he forgot. Kristoff left him the list of things to pack, him being the one with more survivor instincts of anyone here. Ropes, knives, clothes, blankets, flints for fires, non-perishable foods, and carrots were among the list, while Jase added a few things like crossbows, shields, extra swords and weaponry; things that might come in handy say a dragon or other foul enemy show up. Though he was sure they had everything, waiting for them to return was driving him mad. Every second they weren't on their way was another second of some unspeakable horror Elsa might be facing.

Crossing into the courtyard, he heard the familiar hammering coming from Lionel's anvil in the blacksmith shop. He hadn't seen him since Skouch's interrogation, so he went to check in on him. Once he got there, he found the fire wielding blacksmith at work, repiring a hinge to one of the damaged doors. Though it was morning, he was working overtime repairing the list of things that were damaged from last night. As usual, Fredrick was nearby, playing checkers with Luke, Lionel's young son.

"Lionel" greeted Jase. "How's the head?"

"Oh, fine" he said, rubbing a black and blue bump on his forehead. "Nothing but a bruise."

"You have no trouble remembering what happened?" he asked to make sure. Concussions were not anything to joke around.

"Let's see, a giant reptile cheap shot me with a rock."

"Sounds right." Lionel smiled then went back to work, pounding away at the one side of the hinge. Every now and then, he would adjust something with his magic, then go back to hammering. "Actually, do you have a minute?" Jase asked suddenly.

Lionel looked up from his work. He shrugged. "Sure." He turned to face Luke. "Don't leave Mr. Hansen's side."

"I won't" said Luke.

Lionel removed his apron then followed Jase outside. "What's the problem?"

Jase looked at Lionel. "You heard what the dragon, Skouch said, right? About Klydrun?"

Lionel froze, unmoving. He nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"In all the years he chased you, did he ever leave any indication to a possible faction he was into? Or a gang or cult or something?"

Lionel shook his head. "In three years, I never heard a word from that man's... elf's mouth. I still don't know what he sounds like." That was right Jase thought. Lionel was taken to the hospital before the end of his trial, so he never heard Klydrun speak, nor in prison before he escaped.

"Trying to find out who is behind this I see?" asked Lionel.

Jase nodded. "I know more now in two days than a full year of searching and it's still not enough" he spoke bitterly. "Now I know he is in league with whoever was behind Elsa's abduction. I can't help but feel this is the same whoever that had him kill my dad."

"You think it is the same person?"

Jase took a step forward, reminiscing the past. "When my father died, we all knew that, without his leadership, Kalamar would finally fall, and it did, leaving King Gregor exposed. It was Elsa who finally stopped him, and now she has been kidnapped by someone who has a connection to Klydrun."

"But that was over, what, 5 years ago? Why wait until now?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I really don't know anything, but it's all I got." Jase looked up into the still snowy sky. The sun had finally risen, and the full extent of the damage could be seen without torches. Smoke was still rising from burning ambers, and the stone walls had scorch marks all along it, but nothing that couldn't repair. The cost of life, however, could never be fixed. "I hope she's alright, wherever she is."

* * *

It was cold, and windy, those were the first things her senses could register. The cold didn't bother her, but she was aware of its presence. The air seemed thin, too clean to be down on the ground, lacking the normal scents of the earth. The wind was strong, whipping past her face with intensity. She was still half asleep though, the effects of the spell still heavy in her head.

She heard a bird's screech.

Though her eyes were closed, she could see the light of day through her eyelids. Still, the spell worked against her. She couldn't remember how she had fallen asleep, or the last things that happened before knocking out. All she wanted to do was sleep.

"Elsa..."

"Hm...?" Elsa half said through her sleep. She was rocking she noticed. Her whole body jerked with a sort of rhythmic movement, and her head swung freely. But even through that all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Elsa!..." said the voice again, this time accompanied by another screech from a falcon.

Instead of responding, Elsa just closed here eyes tighter. She assumed it to be Anna, trying to wake her up for some odd reason...

"ARE YOU FOR REAL?! WAKE UP YOU!"

Elsa's eyes shot wide open. "Joan?" she asked. She thought she heard her guardian angel speak to her. But as soon as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she forgot all about the invisible being. She was at least a thousand feet into the air. The wind was blowing wildly across her face, making seeing clearly difficult as the wind stung her eyes. Below was a white, frozen landscape, with apparently no ground immediately beneath her. Her eyes widening with panic, she looked up. She was about to scream in fright, but she saw her snow falcon, flying at a distant. Frida cawed silently, eyeing something just above Elsa. Elsa understood it as "be quiet, and look up." It was then Elsa realized she couldn't move her arms and legs. She became horridly aware that some giant, reptilian fingers were wrapped around her entire body, trapping her hands by her side. Elsa tilted here head up, and saw the dragon that had taken her captive, holding her with the claws on its hind legs, gliding North.

It looked on ahead, it's eyes focused on its destination, somewhere ahead, and not on her. For all it knew, she was still asleep. The events of last night caught up with her. The attack, the fire, the destruction and death. The last thing she remembered were two, orange eyes glaring into her soul. Somehow, Elsa realized, those eyes were what knocked her out into some sort of sleep. By some miracle, Elsa had awaken, and the dragon did not know that yet, otherwise it would simply look at her and hypnotize her again before she could fight back.

Elsa felt like screaming in terror, but held back when Frida called out again, this time louder. The dragon roared, then shot a fireball at the annoying bird. Frida dodged the fireball and disappeared into the clouds just to her right. Elsa imagined that the falcon and the dragon had been playing this game of cat and mouse the whole way here. That was just like her stubborn, sometimes overprotective friend, taking on a dragon of all things. Elsa soon came to terms with her situation, and decided that she had to get away, before the dragon could reach its destination, wherever that was.

She thought fast, maybe too fast, for it was a horribly conceived plan. She closed her eyes, then released a large burst of her ice magic from all over her body. Frost quickly encased the dragon's claws in a cracked glaze. Taken by surprise, the dragon roared in pain, then released Elsa, letting her fall to the earth below while it hovered in mid air, shooting fire onto its icy claws before any permanent damage occurred.

Elsa was regretting her choice of escape, as she was now falling down thousands of feet to the hard ice below, and though she could summon blizzards to cover entire kingdoms, she could not fly. To top it all off, Elsa realized then and there she had crippling acrophobia*.

"AAHHHHHHH!" she screamed, spinning with flailing hands and legs, having no control over her descent at all. She was overwhelmed in panic, and not the kind she was used too. Most of her previous fears and anxieties revolved around her own delusions generated from a long time in isolation. This one was far more real, and physically terrifying as she tried to grasp the feeling of weightlessness. She's been up high before, but she's always had something solid beneath her feet. What she would give for Anna's fearlessness right now.

While Elsa spun out of control, Frida dove in a graceful free-fall behind her. She screamed out a call, but Elsa continued to spin and scream hysterically. With the grace only a falcon can achieve in the air, she grabbed Elsa by her hair gently in her talons, then, flapping hard, forced her body to stop spinning. Elsa was now at least facing the ground below, but she was still screaming. Finally, Frida flew close to her face, and slapped her with her wing with a resounding clap. At that Elsa stopped, focusing on the falcon. Frida shot her a glare, then looked down at the ground, as if to say "Get it together girl!"

Elsa, still panicky, nodded. She heard a roar behind her. The dragon was now descending after them, its wings narrowed to gain velocity. The ground was approaching fast, and so was the dragon. Frida then held her wings out, catching the wind and drastically decreasing her fall. "No, wait!" said Elsa, but it was too late. the small falcon glided up and grabbed the dragon's nose with her talons. The dragon snorted, then snapped at the falcon. Frida continued to hit the dragon with similar attacks, forcing it to slow its descent as it tried to get rid of this new pest.

Elsa was now alone in free fall. "Oooooh wow" she said to herself in fright. The ground was coming up fast. She had to break her fall fast, but how? She remembered back to Anna's tales of how she followed her up the North Mountain the first time, how she and Kristoff jumped off a cliff and landed in a pile of fresh...

"Snow" she said. Without thinking twice, she extended her hands down and shot out all the magic she could muster. Her current state of panic only fuled the magic as it hit the ground before her, erupting into an increasingly immense pile of fresh, frozen powder. A half a second later, Elsa made contact with a puff, creating a splayed out, almost comical silhouette of herself in the snow. She descended deep into the snow drift before she finally stopped falling. Thirty seconds pass, and Elsa finally comes crawling out of the snow, spitting it out of her mouth. Seeing that she was safely on the ground, she took a deep sigh in relief. She allowed herself to fall face first into the snow. "I lived!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by the snow.

Her moment of relief was short lived. She heard the dragon roar overhead, and immediately reacted. All around her was nothing but snow, with large jagged blocks of ice all around. She could see for miles all around, but a light snowfall blurred any landmark that could have been in the distance. She didn't know where she was exactly, but that didn't matter. Using her surroundings to her advantage, she waved her hands in front of her, forming a jagged formation of ice around her, blending it into her surroundings.

Hidden in her makeshift hut, Elsa felt the ground shake as the dragon landed nearby. She waved her hand over a small section of ice, forming a clear section so she could see outside. She saw a cloud of snow about 50 yards out. Then, she saw the green dragon's head rise up out of it. It growled lightly, then turned its head around in both directions, looking for its prey. Elsa remained frozen in place, daring not to make a sound. She heard Frida call out in the distance. The dragon roared in annoyance in the direction of the falcon, unable to see it though.

It then walked forward, looking around for Elsa. In books, Elsa had come to envision dragons as slow, sluggish creatures on land while more graceful in the sky. They were big, ugly, and grotesque creatures that relied solely on thick scales and fire for attack and defense. That was not the creature she saw before her. This dragon was no slug, but gave off the appearance of an agile cat or a dog. It's legs were thick and muscular, fit for running and possibly jumping. It moved its head somewhat like a bird, alert and quick in its movements. Its wings were tucked in right along its body when walking, giving the creature a streamlined appearance while on foot. Even with the white horns and green scales, the creature seemed majestic in its appearance. No mismatched scales or horrid blobs of growth, but perfect symmetry, minus the occasional scar here and there.

Walking parallel to her hiding place, Elsa felt confident that her ice shelter was working well. Kneeling still, Elsa finally got a chance to collect herself. She was breathing heavily from all that had happened in a short amount of time. She slowed her breathing, trying to calm herself and keep her wits about her. She didn't want to make a wrong decision out of fear. Frida continued to call out, trying to distract the dragon, but to no avail. It was completely ignoring her now.

It was walking away from her when it stopped. It sniffed the air, then jerked its head around, facing Elsa's general direction. Elsa held her breath. It turned around completely and began walking towards her. It's neck snaked down, closer to the ground to get a better trace of the smell. It came closer and closer. It must also have excellent hearing, because when Elsa took a shallow breath, its head jerked up. It eyes were now locked onto Elsa under her icy hideout. It growled slowly, the spot deep in the throat turned red...

It was then Frida attacked, darting down out of the sky and slashing her talons across the dragon's nose. The dragon jerked its head at the impact. Frida flew away, then turned and again pecked at the dragon's eyes. She did next to nothing to injure the massive beast, but she could not let it near her master. Frida turned and got ready for another attack, but the dragon had had it with her. It turned and, just before she could reach it, shot a stream of fire from its mouth. Frida dodged it at the last second and narrowly missed the flames. The dragon followed her with its fire. He was to quick for her this time as the flames got closer. The heat was enough to weaken the snow bird's feathers. They began to melt and, as the dragon followed though, melted through entirely, completely searing off her right wing into steam. Crippled, Frida fell down, crashing to the earth. The dragon breathed in to finish the defenseless snow falcon.

"NO!" said Elsa in fright. With little concern for her own safety, she melted away the front of her hideout. In another swift moment, she bent low, then extended both her hands out. A jagged pillar of ice erupted from the ground just beneath the dragon. It crashed into its chest, sending it up into the air. The dragon grunted in both surprise and pain as it flipped in mid air and crashed back down on its back a few dozen yards away. Elsa immediately ran over and scooped up the frightened Frida in her arms. She picked her up and got ready to run away, but the dragon had already recovered. Upon seeing Elsa, it leapt up into the air, clearing the space between them. Now only ten yards away, the beast went to fire at her.

Holding Frida with her right hand, Elsa shot out with her left hand, blasting the ball of fire with a beam of ice magic. It snaked around, then snapped at her. It's jaws inching nearer, Elsa turned, placed Frida down, then turned again, swinging her right hand up, forming a giant, leaning icicle between her and the dragon. The dragon turned around it and continued onto her, but Elsa swung up her left hand, forming another spire of ice, crossing over with the other. The crisscrossing icicles essentially blocked the dragon's body from going any further. But the dragon simply lifted its front legs and crashed them down, crushing the icicles and continued to pursue her. Elsa swung again, forming a whip like motion of harsh arctic air. It crashed against the dragon's side, sending it off balance. Elsa then shot up another blast in an upward motion, sending its head up. The dragon stepped back, shaking its head from the impact. It looked up again, then hissed.

Elsa held her ground. Her arms were held out in ready positions. She made sure Frida was safely behind her, though was quick to return her eyes to the cunning dragon. Instead of outright attacking her this time, the dragon just circled her slowly. It hissed some more. Elsa returned to gesture with an angry glare. She was confident in her abilites, and wasn't about to lose this battle.

By this time, her dress was covered in rips and abrasions from the bottom of her dark blue skirt to the light blue sleeves on her arms, along with a few scorch marks from earlier attacks. She had a light cut along her right cheek, and some abrasions on her left cheek. On top of all that, her hair was a mess. At this moment, she honestly couldn't care less how she looked. She was forced to turn around constantly as the dragon circled her more.

"What do you want?!" she asked it less than cordially. The dragon gave no response. Then, it stopped. It inched its head closer to her now, staring her down. For a brief second, Elsa felt at ease. A sense of calm overtook her as the dragon mesmerized her with its orange eyes...

"NO!" Elsa shouted, almost falling for the same trick twice. She immediately shut her eyes. In her rage and panic, she summoned up a massive surge of magic up through her hands, stronger than she had intended. It manifested into no particular form of snow or ice, but rather remained in its magical state. The beam shot out, impacting the dragon directly in-between the eyes. The impact was enough to send the dragon's head, along with its body backwards with tremendous force. It roared a horrid, agonizing scream of sorts, the likes of which Elsa had never heard. It fell over onto its back, then it squirmed over on its side. It continued to cry out in agonizing, high pitch roars. It began clawing at the icy ground, crawling away from her like she were some wolf after an injured deer.

Elsa reached down and picked up Frida yet again, holding her close. She watched as the dragon limped away as if out of its mind, continuing to roar, almost scream out in tremendous discomfort. It looked around, blinking its eyes rapidly, as if trying to focus on something. It breathed heavy, labored breathes, the coughed violently. It remained on its feet now, but was trembling. It's whole body shook from what Elsa thought was cold. It looked weak now, keeping its head low, still breathing hard. Finally, it looked at her. As his face came into view, she saw a white streak instantaneously formed across the left side of its face, similar Elsa thought to Anna's hair after she froze her head over two decades ago. Elsa realized that she had infected its head with her magic. It looked at her, but not in the same predatory way it had done before. Its eyes were wide and pleading, and its face looked troubled. The orange hue in its eyes seemed dimmer Elsa thought, and less menacing.

It then spoke, its breath visible in the freezing air. "...Please..." it said with a begging, hurting tone in its voice. "...Help... me..." The dragon then closed its eyes, then fell forward, unconscious but still alive.

Elsa froze. She was still holding Frida, but her focus was on the dragon. She was surprised by those words, by how the dragon looked before falling down. She was particularly drawn to the white streak across his face. She then laid Frida down on the ground. She waved her hands over her left side, repairing her wing with her magic. Good as new, Frida chirped happily, then leapt up onto her shoulder. Elsa got up, then turned to leave. She didn't know where she was going, but she wanted to get away from the dragon as soon as possible.

But she stopped. She turned her head back to the downed, inured dragon. She just stared at it for a short time.

Frida chirped into her ears.

"I, I don't know" Elsa said. "Did you see how it acted, just before knocking out?"

Elsa took a few more steps forward. Frida cawed nervously.

"I mean, if I leave, I'm sentencing it to death."

Frida crackled.

"Even if it did attack us, it would be wrong to let it die, especially like that... it's not a good way to go." Elsa paused before going any closer. She tilted her head as she looked curiously at the dragon. "I, I think I know it" she said, squinting her eyes.

Frida screamed (falcon vocalization).

"Of course I've never met a dragon before, but, it looks familiar..." She remembered back to her vision. Of the many things she saw, there was a dragon, but not just any dragon... "It's the dragon from my vision!"

Frida tilted her head, then chirped.

"Yes I'm sure!" Elsa said. In her vision, she saw a green dragon, with two white horns over its head, with two smaller horns behind it. That, along with the fine facial features, is what she saw before her, complete with the white streak she now saw across its face. "I have to help it" she said as she leaned down for Frida to hop off.

Frida went ballistic in a fury of assorted falcon vocalizations, flapping its wings in protest. Still, Elsa walked up to the unconscious dragon, which was still breathing laboriously. Seeing Elsa was intent on doing this, Frida reluctantly shut up. Elsa held her hands out in front of her, took a breath, then closed her eyes and focused on the dragon, more specifically on the magic in the head. She had done this before, so she felt confident in her ability to do this. Her fingers worked meticulously as she "felt" around for the traces of magic. Feeling her familiar ice, she pulled back, as if on a rope. As expected, the blue sparkles of ice magic came out, leaving the beast's head.

Then, the unexpected happen. In a sudden burst, a darker magic shot out of its head. It appeared to shift in and out of existence, with faint flashes of silver. Like a swift snake, it reached out and struck Elsa's hand like a whip. In that one instant of contact with the dark substance, Elsa saw in her head a dark, familiar version of herself. It smiled sinisterly, then vanished as quickly as she saw it, like a thunderclap. It broke Elsa's contact with her magic, then sent her flying back onto the snowy ground. The magic, both ice and the mysterious darker one, shot back into the dragon's head, shaking its body.

Elsa gasped from the instantaneous experience. In one instant, she felt a sudden surge of guilt and shame, and it shook her to her bones. Seeing her distress, Frida was at her side. Elsa placed her hand to her chest. She continued to gasp for breathe. Moments passed as Elsa tried to grasp what she just experienced. Then, it dawned on her. She looked back at the dragon with newfound dread and realization.

Frida chirped.

"I know what that was" Elsa responded. She immediately got up, determination written on her face. Frida flapped along, following her. "I know what it was because I have seen it before, in myself." Elsa looked back at the dragon, not with fear or trepidation, but compassion, and pity. "That, was the Dark Mirror" Elsa declared. She then cracked her knuckles. "I don't care if he's a good guy or a bad guy anymore, I am _not_ going to let any man or creature, not even my enemy, go on living with that _thing_ crawling around their veins!" She boldly declared, as if talking to her worst enemy first hand. She was angry, and given what the magic in question did to her not all that long ago, she had reason to be that and more.

Then she shot her hands forward. Again, she focused on her magic, now mixed with the darkness. Finding it again, she began to pull it out. As before, the ice magic came out. Then, the ice magic was overwhelmed by the snaking dark magic. It wrapped around the ice magic, like a twisting vine choking a small tree. It pulled back. Elsa was forced forward, but held firm. She pulled back with a stubborn determination. The magic inched out, this time dragging the dragon's head towards Elsa. Elsa pulled up now. both magics came out even more, forming a twisted sphere of black and blue with streaks of silver, though much of it was still snaking in the dragon's head. As Elsa worked even harder, snow began to fall, responding to her emotional state.

There was now a hissing sound, with what sounded like ominous voices tied in. To Frida, they were discernible, but to Elsa, they were all to familiar.

"Hello again Elsa" said a voice that was her own, but more menacing. It was deeper too, with a rumble in it. Elsa figured it would be her voice if she were a dragon.

Elsa shook her head resolutely. "You're not going back in!" she said.

Silence, then "We will see..." Once again, the magic dark magic lashed out in a whip like fashion. Prepared for it this time, Elsa lowered her hands, falling to her knees to dodge it. For a brief moment, she felt it loose its grip on the dragon, and she shot her hands up. There was resistance, but the ice and dark magic mixture shot up with a hard yank. The dragon's head went up too as the magic gave up its last grip, then fell limb as it was pulled out entirely.

Now free in the air above its head, the unstable sphere of sparking and flashing shook violently. Elsa fell back, loosing her grip entirely. She watched as streaks of the dark substance reached back in thin strips back at the dragon.

"No!" Elsa shouted. She shot forth a strong gust of winter wind. It struck the semi solid sphere of magic. The mass was shot back through the air. Like a piece of gelatinous dessert, it impacted the ground, reshaping itself in ghostlike gusts of magic. Elsa watched as the mass took on a more recognizable shape. Within seconds, the magic now appeared as a dragon made of the blue, black and silver magics, similar in shape to the one it was just removed from. It roared out an ear-piercing, glass breaking shriek that forced Elsa to cover her ears.

The magic dragon's edges appeared unstable as it marched over to Elsa with unnatural speed. She held her hands up defensively, but before it could do anything, it stopped. An increasingly loud hissing sound came from its center. The magic became more erratic as its already ill-defined outlined grew more shaky and jaggedy. Then, with flashes of red and blue sparks, the mass exploded, sending out a powerful shockwave, so strong it flipped the sleeping dragon over on its other side. For Elsa and Frida it proved even more devastating as it knocked them at least fifty yards or more yards out. Elsa's body crashed against a thick piece of protruding ice. After such a violent impact, Elsa fell limb to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Somewhere, deep in the mountain caverns of the enemy, the Master tapped his fingers against his throne. Only his few troll servants were about, one of whom was bringing him his late breakfast. Then, just as the young troll stepped up, the Master rose, startling the weary eyed servant. The cloaked figure turned his head slightly, focusing on something not here. Then he spoke.

"She has become even more powerful than I had predicted."

* * *

 **So, how was that for a lengthy chapter! Now we know where Elsa stands while her friends are still trying to get off of Arendelle's shores. So, the Dark Mirror is back in play, but what is its role this time? What does this mysterious dragon mean for Elsa? Will Jase learn the mystery of his father's death? Will Ahsoka survive her encounter with Darth Vader... oh wait, sorry, wrong story.**

 **So, keep your eyes open! When the next chapter is posted, I will at the same time post the latest commissioned art made by the talented Comickergirl! Really looking forward to this one, so stay tuned!**

 **Thanks again for reviews from JJAndrews, Guest, and Please Reply. Feel free to let me know what you think, whether it be by review or through Tumblr.**

 **See you later, and a happy belated Easter!**

 **-Batman**

 *** Acrophobia: Fear of heights. **


	16. Chapter 16

.

Chapter 16:

How to Befriend a Dragon

(While I wish I did, I do not own "How to Train Your Dragon")

 **Well, two days ago marks the second year I have both been a member of this site and the first story I had ever posted. Still can't believe that, two years later, I am now on my fifth Frozen stories, not to mention a few other stories I have taken on, resulting in over 500,000 words altogether! What a ride it's been thus far. See if I manage to finish this by next year.**

 **Well, enough about that, back to the story...**

* * *

It was now almost noon when Elsa awoke for the second time that day. She was thankfully on the ground this time. She was sleeping on her side on a bed of snow. It hurt to move, and her head was throbbing from the impact on the ice. Once again, she was awaken by her loyal falcon, who was chirping up a storm trying to wake her, nudging her with her head.. Elsa moaned, wanting to sleep some more, but soon remembered that she was far from home, previously a dragon's prisoner, and was possibly injured. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. Frida appeared sideways to her, her head still being on its side. the bird was hopping about, flapping her wings with fury, trying to wake Elsa up.

"I'm up, I'm up" Elsa said with a groan. She rolled onto her stomach, then pushed up against the ground. Her back hurt, as did her shoulders; bruising from the impact with the hard ice. She stopped, then hissed in pain. Frida chirped.

Elsa shook her head. "I'm fine, sort of" she said. "I hope I didn't break anything." She sighed, then pushed herself up some more. She sat on the ground, her legs splayed out before her while she held her head up with her hand. Frida continued to chirp frantically. "What?" Elsa asked in annoyance. She noticed Frida was looking up past her. Elsa turned, and was startled by the sight.

The dragon stood motionless just above her, giving her a curious look. She gasped in surprise and, without thinking, jumped to her feet, but her legs hurt and she stumbled backwards onto he hard, compacted snow. Reacting on fear, she fumbled backwards, crawling away from what she remembered was her enemy. She ended up crawling up a sloping block of ice, then stopped to see that the dragon took only a few passive steps to follow her. Her body still aching in protest, she stopped, breathing heavily as she awaited the dragon's next move. It just stared at her for a short while. It was not he predatory stare she had grown accustomed to, but a passive, if not curious stare, though it seemed to have a small frown on its lips. She saw the white streak from when she struck, reaching up over its left eye and down along its snout. For half a minute, neither party said a word. Frida remained perched on Elsa's shoulder, glaring back at the once hostile beast.

Finally, Elsa broke the silence. "What do you want?" Elsa asked more harshly than she intended. The dragon seemed startled, tilting its head back from the statement.

Then, he shook his head. "Nothing" it finally said in in a deep, yet at the same time light, noble voice. It sounded hurt, and regretful, continuing to stare at her with wide, intelligent eyes, eyes that she swore had just as much emotion and meaning as any human's. Elsa wasn't sure if it was a young dragon or an old one, but it gave the impression that it was a young adult at the most, maybe older. "You, you freed me?" it asked.

Elsa remained frozen where she was, still sitting on the ice. "I, yes. Yes I did."

"Why?"

"Why?" Elsa asked. "Um, well, because you needed help."

"But, I attacked your kingdom, killed your men, and then took you here, far from home." He blinked slowly, then shook his head. "Why bother? Am I not your enemy?"

Elsa thought. There was the fact that she saw him in her vision, and what it meant she did not know. But now there was a stronger, more personal reason why she saved him. She shook her head. "You, you didn't want to attack Arendelle, didn't you?" The dragon shook his head. "Then no, yo uare not my enemy. You were under the influence of the Dark Mirror. Were you aware?"

The dragon looked down. "With every waking minute." He then looked back at her. "You, you removed it? It's gone? For good?"

Elsa nodded. "Yeah... I'm not sure how, but, yeah. It's all gone. You don't have to worry about it anymore." She remained quiet as the dragon contemplated its newfound freedom. Though she had never seen a dragon and was unfamiliar with its habits, she was able to make out confusion, fear, anger, and relief in its facial expressions, seemingly all at once. Elsa tried to get up, but stumbled, her hole back, from her head down to her feet, hurt. The dragon now looked to her with concern.

"You're hurt" he noticed.

Elsa nodded, still caught off guard by the complete change in demeanor from the beast from only hours before. "I'm fine" she said. Sucking it up, she fought through the pain and stood up. Once her body straightened up, she found it much easier to maintain that position. She grabbed the back of her neck, massaging it in hopes of relieving some of the pain. She slouched, too hurt to even think about maintaining her usually regent posture. "Who did this to you?" she asked. "Why did they have you and the others attack my home?"

The dragon immediately shook his head. "I wish I knew... my memories are mostly a blur, but I remember a name. The 'Master' I think."

"The Master?" Elsa asked. "Do you know where he is?"

The dragon shook his head. "I know we were on the way to his fortress, but, everything's still a blur. The other, 'me', the accumulation of the darkness I never knew I had, did most of the driving" he said with bitter sarcasm. Bits and pieces of memories flashed through the dragon's head; memories of dark, smelly caves, horrid food, and most of all violence, the innocents he attacked in the name of the Master who took the freedom of his own body. He became angry as he shut his eyes, working to block them out. He sighed heavily. "I was a peaceful dragon once, living a peaceful life in a peaceful land. I had friends, and family. That was before I was taken, brainwashed, my own body used as a puppet, run by some deep, dark reflection of myself. I was pushed to the back, occasionally able to peek through my own eyes to watch as I was 'recruited' into some army, a secret army, kept in some deep, dark place and fed rotten meat. I watched as I was used as a weapon, attacking villages, setting homes aflame, watching people die..." the dragon shut its eyes tight once again as the screams became more vivid in his head. Elsa saw the torment written on his face. It continued. "I am sorry, for having a part in the attack on your home, and the lives I might have taken."

"No, don't apologize" Elsa said, shaking head. "I know what it was like, to have the Mirror in you." The dragon then looked at her, curiously. "It was only for a short time, but I understand the 'other me', being used as a puppet, and hurting my family in the process. So don't apologize for something you had no control over." Elsa looked up, again seeing the white streak on its face. She thought it would be gone by now, but it was just as vivid as ever. She wondered what that meant, or if he was even aware of it. "As far as I am concerned" she continued, "this is our first meeting... Hi" she began, symbolically beginning anew with this creature. "I am Elsa, Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

The dragon looked at her for a moment, then bowed its head, low to the ground, then extended its right paw forward. "Your Majesty. I am Boran, son of Hashan and Luina. I am forever in your dept."

"Boran, nice to meet you" said Elsa with a courtsy. "But that's not necessary. I would have done that for anyone."

"And yet I am alive solely through your mercy. For that, I am obliged to return the favor."

Elsa shrugged, not thinking anything of. She was so new to the customs of dragons that she was unaware of what that meant exactly. "So, um, do you know where we are?"

The dragon got up and looked around. "I can't be sure of were we are exactly, but I know we are on Roshan Glacier, near the southern border of the Lands North."

Elsa jerked her head up in surprise. "The Lands North? You mean, we are here, in the Lands North?" she asked.

"Yes my lady" he responded. Elsa was beyond astonished. For a few years now, she had come to know of the Lands North, learning about it first from Pabbie, then more as time went on. So many secrets lied here she thought, so many unknown factors and forces. And yet, at the same time, she felt far, far away from home, and isolated. Out of her comfort zone, and with only her falcon reminding her of home. The farthest she had been from home was Berglia, and this must have been more than five times that length, and in such a short amount of time. Boran must have been sprinting across the skies to get here in the one night.

"Boran" Elsa said, a slight panic overcoming her as she the full extent of her distance from home took hold. "Can you take me home, back to Arendelle?"

"Of course, anything" Boran said. We just need too..." he froze. He immediately thought to recall his travels as of last night, but he drew a blank. He had glimpses of locations from the night before, mountains and seas, all sights he rarely saw while enslaved, but they did not connect, not in one single motion that made a memory of direction. Disappointed, he shook his head. "I, I can't" he said.

"What?!" Elsa nearly shouted.

"I'm sorry, but I can't remember the way."

"Not anything?" Boran reluctantly shook his head. "OK, alright, then let's just go south, and find our way from there."

"Your Majesty, a barren, desolate landscape lies to the south. If we get lost in there, there is no telling where we would end up, not to mention to the south are isolated settlements of pirates and barbarians. Take one wrong turn, and we would be fired upon, with cannons!"

"But you just brought me here last night!" Elsa shouted.

"Yes, with a mindless beast leading the way. I was no more than an unwilling passenger! I, I have never even left my home in my youth." He spoke more gently now. "I am sorry, but I do not know the way to your home. If I did, I would take you without hesitation, but now it is just too dangerous."

Elsa spun around, frustrated and fuming. She gripped her hair with her hands, a thousand thoughts running through her head. What were her friends thinking? Were they alright? Did they think she was dead? How was she going to get home?...

Will she ever get home?

"I do know where we are still" he said in hope. "Maybe I can take you to one of the kingdoms in the Lands North. We could find help there, maybe a map." Elsa turned around with newfound hope. "It's been a while, but I think Golth is closest. It's a troll city, in the forest. I'm sure they have someone who can help you get home."

Elsa looked hopeful. "How far?"

"Um, let's see... about a day's flight, maybe less."

"And, you know how to get _there?_ " Elsa asked, crossing her arms.

"I haven't lost any of my memories before the Mirror. How long ago I don't know, but I have flown to every corner of the Lands North in my youth. If we leave now, we can get there by nightfall."

Elsa thought for a moment. They would be going north, further and further from home, more than twice as far as she had ever traveled, and with a creature she had no experience with and in a strange land without anyone she knew, minus Frida. But really, what choice did she have?

"Alright" she said. "Take me there."

"At your command" he said. Elsa waited for him to lead the way, but Boran instead took a few steps towards her, lowered his head and turned from her, showing her his neck. "Hop on."

It took Elsa a moment to realize what he was implying, then she backed away, waving her hands in a 'no' fashion. "Whoa, wait you're not suggesting we _fly_ there, right?"

Boran turned at her, raising an eyebrow. "You're not suggesting we _walk_? That would take weeks."

All Elsa could think about was the last time she was in the air, just hours ago, and it was not fun. "But, but the enemy is still out there, this 'Master'. Wouldn't we draw too much attention if we fly?"

Boran looked at her funny. "OK, let me rephrase that. _It would take weeks if we walk._ "

Elsa just gripped her shoulders. Yes, she did want to get home as soon as possible, and days to weeks doesn't leave much room for debate. But flying isn't something humans in her age and time were used too, let alone believing it to be possible (magic excluded). It was a frightening concept, and the last time she was in the sky she nearly fell to her death, thought that was mostly her fault.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Elsa shrugged. "I, well, might have this thing with heights, more specifically falling from the" she said sheepishly.

Boran nodded. "Well, I do remember you screaming, then the fall, so that would be a bad first impression."

"But that's OK" Elsa said, taking a deep breathe. She began convincing herself that it was for the best. And dragons did this all the time, right? So it couldn't be too dangerous. "I'm just going to have to deal with it."

Boran nodded. "Just know that this time, you will be flying with an ally, and not an enemy."

Elsa gulped. "Yeah, sure, alright." Boran again lowered his neck, and Elsa walked up to him. Now so close, Elsa could really see the finer details of the dragon's scales. upon touch, she realized they had more detail up close, with ridges and dimples on each scale. She clumsily climbed on, Boran being much larger and wider than any horse, and her sore back not helping things. She grunted as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position. Thankfully, Boran's scales had a lot of friction, so she could grip on securely. She sat wit her hands clinging on to Boran's scales, but managed to at least somewhat upright, allowing her to see the space in front of Boran. Frida flew up onto her shoulder.

Boran then lifted his head. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Elsa nodded, then said "Yeah, sure" she said with little confidence. "Ready as I'm going to be."

"Then hang on" he said. He then extended his clawed wings, then brought them down hard, sending him and Elsa into the air with a quick, sudden ascent. Scared out of her mind, Elsa leaned forward, gripping Boran's neck now in a tight bear hug, screaming in fright. Frida fell off of Elsa's shoulder from the rush, but soon flapped her wings and followed as Boran zoomed into the air, flapping his wings harder as he ascended.

Like it or not, Elsa was now headed into the heart of the Lands North.

* * *

 **I apologize for the short chapter, but there was no way to fit the other half of what I intended without splitting up important dialogue.**

 **Ladies and Gentlemen of the Internet, I present Boran the dragon! Man, I have been waiting to introduce him to you since before I wrote Frozen V... yeah, he's been in development for a while now, and wow am I excited to finally introduce him to you!** **I literally wrote, then rewrote the scene between Elsa and Boran like a hundred times! This first encounter had to be perfect, as Boran will now play an important role in future events. So, yeah. Be ready for a lot of character development out of this guy!**

 **If you go to my Tumblr page I have a commissioned art of Elsa, Boran and Frida, made once again by the insanely talented Sarah Leuver, aka Comikergirl. Check it out!**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **-Batman**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

A Hasty Departure

* * *

It was 8:00 am at the docks. Most of Arendelle was still cleaning up and accessing the damage from last night's attack. Luckily, thanks to Elsa, the damage was contained to the castle. Still, the city was in a state of unrest, unsure of what lies for them in the near future. Dodgson had taken command of the situation, organizing the cleanup and calling for volunteers to strengthen Arendelle against future attacks.

All the while, Jase oversaw the preparations for the rescue mission to save Elsa. Coming with them would be Olaf, Gunnolf, Jethro and Marge, Anna and Kristoff, Sven (They wouldn't have taken any animals to lighten the weight, but Kristoff refused to leave his best friend behind), Wes, himself, and their guide, Lars. Marshmallow and Lionel were to remain, just in case the dragons returned, or if some other terrible threat came to finish the job. He waited anxiously for their return from Berglia by the docks. Kai was there also, along with young Matthew and Boulda by his side. Matthew, though having gotten some sleep, stood in silence, fearful of all that has transpired. Jethro was still on the boat with Marge, going over his knots for the fifth time that day. Only a few guards waited with them, while the rest of the city focused on current matters.

Finally, Anna and Kristoff returned from Berglia in a puff of blue smoke just outside the dock where the yacht was tied up. Olaf was waiting there with Gunnolf and Marshmallow, who had come down from the mountain when Frida didn't return.

"Yay!" said Olaf. "They're back!"

Just then, Lars appeared in a puff of blue smoke, bound in chains. He was followed a second later by Wes. Immediately, Olaf backed away, hiding behind Marshmallow at the sight of the man. Soon, the former pirate lord drew threatening stares from all those present. The giant snowman growled, while Gunnolf snarled.

"Whoa, easy guys!" said Anna, stepping between the snow creatures and Lars, the latter which just stood there, seemingly bemused by the creatures. He looked around, nodding to himself.

"So, I see Arendelle hasn't changed much in the years I've been gone. I see rosmaling is still a thing" he said, taking note of the designs seen in nearby ships and some of the buildings seen from the boatyard. "Now, I am eager to meet your new guests." He looked over at Jethro and Marge on the boat, who likewise gave him a curious stare.

"Oh no" said Kristoff, stepping in front of Lars. He grabbed him by the handcuffs that held his hands behind his back. "You're not going to be doing anything until we get to this crazy maze. You're staying under the decks until then."

"Oh swell. It's not like I'm not used to cramped quarters" said Lars with sarcasm. Wes stood aside, allowing two guards through who took Lars from Kristoff, then led him up the gangplank and below deck. Jethro took notice of him. He knew of his actions, but to see him face to face made him uneasy, knowing that he was their guide. Once Lars was gone, Jethro looked to Jase on shore.

"So, that's him?"

"That's him." Jase said, nodding.

Wes turned to see the immense head of Gunnolf before him. He gasps. "Gunny!" said Wes as he hugged the snow wolf's nuzzle. Gunnolf lifted him up in the air, barking happily now that his most recent friend has returned. While Lars was taken below decks, Anna went to Jase.

"Jase, is everything ready?"

"Boat is ready to depart at a moment's notice" he said. "Just give the word."

Wes then said. "Oh wait, can I get a few things before we go?" he asked.

"What?" asked Jase. "Uh, sure, but make it quick."

"Awesome." Without another thought, he pulled out one of his capsules form his jacket. "To the Wes Cave!" he said, then crushed it, then vanished.

Normally, Anna would ponder on what Wes meant by his 'cave'. But, by now used to his antics, shrugged it off and continued with business. She then asked Kai "And the kingdom? Were they briefed on what's going on?"

"I gave the statement just as you had written. We are to remain on high alert until your return, but must otherwise 'not panic if all heck breaks loose'."

"Awesome!" said Anna, proud of her choice of words. "OK, let's get ready to leave." Then she turned and looked for Matthew, who was standing next to Boulda. Kai stepped aside, letting Boulda lead the young prince to his mother and father to say goodbye.

"Alright Matty" said Anna as she knelt down to meet Matthew's level. "Daddy and I will only be gone for a short while, alright?"

She could already see Matthew's eyes water up. "D-d-do oyu have to g-go?" he asked.

"Hey, buddy" said Kristoff as he knelt down next to his wife. "It'll only be a month or so."

"In the meantime, you're in charge" said Anna. "Can you, Prince Matthew, take care of Arendelle while mommy and daddy go get Aunt Elsa?" Matthew nodded. "Than give me a hug goodbye." She pulled him in close and hugged him tightly. "Mommy loves you."

Then she let go and let Kristoff likewise hug him. "We'll be back before you know it. Hold down to fort, OK?"

Then Anna and Kristoff left with great reluctance, leaving their son behind as they walked up the gangplank. Behind, Kai and the others waved goodbye as two guards untied the mooring lines. Then, with the wind on their side, the boat crept away from the docks. Jethro took the wheel and began sailing the ship out into deeper water.

As they left, Kristoff saw Anna wipe away a tear as she looked back to shore. "Hey, he'll be fine" he said, wrapping his arm around her. "He's got plenty of friends here, and Lionel will protect him if anything goes wrong."

"Somehow I still can't help but worry" said Anna as they walked onto the boat. "I mean it's been less than 12 hours since this whole thing started, and now we're off into some unknown wilderness with our greatest enemy as a guide."

"Hey, we've got him outnumbered, and he's in chains. Besides, you forget that _I_ was the one who beat him last time" He said with pride. " What's the worst that can happen?"

"Then, another puff of blue smoke appeared. Jase sighed in relief, believing it to be Wes. But then, as the smoke cleared, he was surprised to see not the man he was looking for, but rather a young woman with near white blond hair, a purple dress, and a bag at her side. Everyone was taken by surprise to see the princess of Berglia on board. No one said anything, except for Kira herself.

"Hi!" she said in a perky manner, though suddenly uncomfortable when she realized all eyes were on her.

"Uh, Kira?" asked Anna.

"Oh, right, you're probably confused by that" she said slowly, trying to find her words as her confidence left her. "Well, we still had a few of Wes' capsules in Berglia, and I figured I be late by a week if I came by horse..."

"Yeah, but why are you here?" asked Kristoff.

"Oh, well isn't it obvious? I'm here to help you find Elsa."

Anna and Kristoff looked at each other, then back at Kira. "Um, Kira look, I know you want to help but..."

"But nothing. Look, I owe you, alright?" she said sincerely. "I was a mindless puppet when you found me, and still would have been if you hadn't helped. I owe you, and, well, this is as good as chance as any to pay you back."

"But Kira" said Kristoff. "Lars is here."

Kira took a deep breath. "Yes, yes I know. And I'm sorry for making a scene back in Berglia, I really am. But I can handle him, really."

"Kira" Anna said. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do" she said. "Please, let me help you."

Anna and Kristoff thought for a moment, considering this new arrival. "Does your brother know you're here?"

"Of course!" she answered, though with a brief moment of hesitation, too brief for anyone to catch.

Anna sighed. "Well, if your sure..."

"Positive!" she said.

"Well, alright!" said Anna, clapping her hands together. "Well, welcome to the S.S... uh..."

"Fitzgerald" said Jase.

"Really? OK the S.S. Fitzgerald" Anna said. She then walked up to her, grabbed her by the shoulder. "Not much in the way of accommodations. The lower decks is loaded with supplies and currently holding he who will not be named, so we're camping out on deck." She then began to introduce everyone. "You already know Jase, Olaf, Sven and Gunnolf. Oh, this is Marge."

"Oh, hi Marge!" said Kira as she extended a hand to greet her with. "I never met a troll before."

Marge just shot her a glare. "What, am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Yeah she's not that friendly" said Anna. "Oh, there's Jethro at the wheel!" She then dragged Kira up the stairs to the bridge, where Jethro was steering the boat.

"Hello Your Highness" said Jethro courteously.

Kira froze. She had never seen an elf before. Still, when he looked at her, she couldn't help but feel fluttery inside. She found herself blushing, finding and instant attraction to the man before her.

"Your Highness?" he asked when she didn't move.

"What?" Kira asked in a daze. "Oh. Oh! I'm sorry! I'm Kira! P-princess Kira" she stuttered nervously, curtsying. "I'm sorry, I just never met an elf before."

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot."

"So... are you single?"

"What?"

Anna slapped her forehead. "Apparently _all_ princesses are bad at this" she thought to herself.

"I mean..." she stuttered. "Not single. I meant mingle, no wait! I mean lingual! Bilingual! Do you understand English?" she then cringed at the ridiculousness of her comeback.

He didn't say anything for a moment, giving her a perplexed stare. "Uh... yes, to the second question" he asked, taking a half step away in the opposite direction, finding her a bit odd. "And no to the first question."

"First... Oh. Oh of course!" Said Kira. "I... I think I'm done here." Kira wasted no time in walking down the stairs and as far away from him as possible. Anna smiled a toothy grin, then followed suit.

"Oh gee" said Kira, embarrassed by that encounter. "Every time I meet a cute guy that happens."

"Oh don't worry about it" said Anna. "I used to be just that bad."

"No, I meant they're all taken" Kira whined. "But yeah, deplorable social skills not withstanding."

Then, just as he promised, Wes reappeared, but the amount of blue smoke blasting out from his location was much to large for him to be alone. The whole boat shook at the sudden arrival of the new weight, knocking everyone off balance and nearly knocked them down to the ground. Then, the smoke cleared, revealing Wes standing atop one of his capsules. A huge capsule. A capsule the size of a cow. With its immense size, the small glimmers of blue magic swirling in the fragile crystal structure could be more easily seen. Wes himself had with him a leather satchel loaded with supplies.

"What one earth?!" screamed Kristoff at the sight of the thing. "Wes! What the heck is this thing!"

"This, mi amigo" said Wes proudly as he leapt off the large form. "Is one of my latest experiments! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the _giant_ teleportation capsule!" he said, using his dramatic flare. He then tossed his satchel to Jase, he caught it with a grunt.

"Ooh, it's shiny!" said Olaf, walking forward to touch it.

"Why on earth did you bring this extra weight aboard?" asked Jase in annoyance after he purposely dropped Wes' satchel to the floor.

"I'm glad you asked!" said Wes. He spoke with the same confidence of a conman. "Remember those little capsules which can only get one person from one place to another? Well, this thing has the capacity to teleport a whole boat!"

"But I thought you said those things can only move one person?" asked Olaf. "Remember when we first met?"

"I try not to" said Wes, remembering his humiliating defeat. "But that was for the small ones. This one has more than the capacity to _accurately_ take us to where we want to go."

"How do you figure that?" asked Marge.

"Well, funny backstory actually. See, back when I was young and foolish, well, more foolish, I set out to find the lost city of Atlantis. Truthfully, I was actually going this rebel without a cause faze, so it was actually just and excuse to get out of the house. The thing is, I actually found it! Not only that, but there were people living there! After a few days of living it up, I tried to make it off with a few treasures, but apparently they didn't like it, so they chased me through these tunnels, and this ninja chick tried to scratch my eyes out. And that is why I wear this mask!"

"What does this have to do with my question?!" asked Marge with annoyance.

"Oh, I learned multiplication while I was there. By multiplying my original formula by 97.234, I get this giant doohickey! Turns out, math is actually useful!"

"Wes, is thing even safe?" asked Kristoff.

"Of course!" he said, though with less than satisfactory confidence. "You, you think I'd use this thing on my friends without testing it? He he, he."

"That's not really..."

"Oky doky!" Next stop, the entrance to the Lands North!" he yelled. He then whipped out his sword, the one named Angela. "Now, everyone focus on that location!" He then ran over to the side of the boat and yelled over the side to the barred window down below. "Here that Lars?"

"What fun" Lars said sarcastically from his cell.

"That's all I needed to hear!" Said Wes. Now he walked over to the his giant creation.

"Wait, Wes, we should really talk about this!" said Anna, hoping he would stop.

"Hey elf boy, how long does it take to get to where this maze starts?"

"Uh, a few weeks at the most. And don't call me..."

"So, tell my princess, do you want to wait a few weeks before finding Elsa, or waist all that time for something horrible to happen?"

Anna stopped. She thought for a moment, then answered, though with hesitance. "Well, yes..."

"Then away we go!" Without another second to spare, Wes swung his sword back as if it were a large mallet, then swung it across the large magical creation. It crashed through without any resistance, shattering the length of it. Then it broke up into thousands of smaller pieces, each one dissolving into blue smoke before it ever hit the floor. Soon, the mist of blue smoke intensified, then swirled outward across the boat, encasing it and its occupants in it. Anna reached out and grabbed Kristoff's hand, while Olaf gripped Gunnolf's leg. Everyone thought hard about where they wanted to go, feeling uneasy about what would happen if they didn't. Then, the smoke eaxpanded rapidly out around the boat, forming a sphere. Then it retracted, warping the boat and its occupants into a single point. In a flash of blue lights, the boat then vanished, leaving a large wave in its wake.

The onlookers from land gasped at the site. The boat was no more than thirty feet from shore, so they could hear more or less what was going on onboard. Still, they all wondered what would become of the rescue party, and their queen.

* * *

Far up the most northern borders of the northernmost sea on any manmade map lied a massive stone cliff that stretch for hundreds of miles along the coastline. The jagged outcroppings that make up this coast had many tunnels leading through it, through which lies a labyrinth of treacherous channels and untold dangers. The sea itself is eerily calm, and a light mist enveloped the area, obscuring the visibility. There were no seagulls, nor fish nor any other sign of life here. This place, along with its physical dangers, was enchanted by sorcerers long dead; enchantments that prevented easy travel through to the continent beyond. This was the entrance to the Lands North.

Hundreds of miles south, in the land of Arendelle, a boat vanished in a cloud of blue smoke. In that same instant, that boat appeared here on this stretch of ocean just before the walls. It came with an explosion of blue smoke, followed by a large wave caused by the displacement of the large mass. It rocked for a few moments as the boat regained balance in this new location, throwing its occupants to the floor. They got up, but soon found themselves crashing into each other, dizzy from the sudden transportation. Wes remained on his feet, his own body used to this, while Olaf and Gunnolf remained unscathed, being immune to effects of instantaneous travel.

"Oooh" said Kira, the late arrival. "I think I'm going to be..." she then covered her mouth, then ran to the railing at the edge of the boat, then lost her lunch.

"You'll get used to it" said Jase, hanging onto the mast for support as he himself couldn't see straight. "Maybe."

"Wohoo!" said Wes, waving his hands up. "It worked!" He then pulled out a notebook from a pocket inside his jacket. He then wrote on it, talking to himself as he wrote. "Experiment log. test number 7 of 'Giant teleportation capsule' was a complete success..." he then closed his book. "OK! I'm going to need statements from all of you for any side effects!"

"Test 7?!" said a cross, yet green Anna. "I thought you said this was a sure thing?"

"Now princess, do you know me to be a trustworthy source of information?"

"Why you...!" she said as she ran at him, but stopped when three of him appeared. She grabbed her head, then nearly fell until Kristoff caught her. "Just wait till I can see straight!" she threatened Wes.

"Oh come on. I was 75% sure we would make it. Besides, we here now, so what's with the HOLY KING NEPTUNE DID YOU GET HERE?!" Wes suddenly exclaimed in mid sentence upon noticing Kira, whom he had failed to notice upon returning.

Kira was now sitting on the floor after vomiting with a sickly pail face. "Uh, about five minutes ago" she answered with croak in her voice.

"She came just after you left" Jase explained.

"Oh, oh OK. Phew!" he said in relief. "I thought something went horribly wrong there for a second!"

Jethro and Marge, on the other hand, recovered more rapidly than their human compatriots, and looked over at the wall of rock before them. Jethro walked over to the railing. "Well, it worked" he said. "We're here."

At those words, the whole crew looked up at the wall. Indeed it was formidable looking, and the mist only added to the spooky feeling already surrounding this place.

"It's quiet" said Jase.

"Too quiet" added Kristoff. He then looked to Kira, then Anna. "Well, I guess it's time to let the devil out of its cage."

At that, Kira cowered. She immediately shot up, recovered from her dizziness. She suppressed some deep desire to stop it, to keep him locked up. She knew he was their only hope of navigating the dangerous realm before them. She knew that by coming here she was forced to face him, but it was better than sitting at home, wondering with every waking second if he had somehow broken free; free to abduct her again. In her mind, facing her monsters face to face was far better than not knowing where it was. So she chose to let her stronger face show, and she held her tongue.

"I'll go get him" said Jase. He walked through the cabin door down below decks, followed by Kristoff. A few minutes later, they heard the sound of chains rattling coming from behind the cabin doors. The sounds grew louder before Kristoff pushed open the door, with Lars right behind him in chains.

"Alright" said Jase, pushing him from behind. "No tricks now."

"Please" said Lars. "They're 9 of you and only one..." he stopped when he saw Kira standing far away from him at the stern of the boat. She showed him only a stern, emotionless glare. Lars only raised an eyebrow. "So many surprises this day" he said. "But now is the time for focus. You will all need to be on your guard, and not just because of me." He turned and faced the wheel on the bridge. He began to walk up to it, Jase following closely behind. Gunnolf then walked up the opposite end of the bridge, snarling at him quietly as he walked to the wheel. "The first challenge before us will be a physical one, requiring my complete concentration to navigate the waters. He then looked to Jase, holding his hands up, especting him to free them.

"Not happening" he said.

Lars rolled his eyes. "I'll need full mobility of my hands if I'm to navigate this. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Jase looked to Kristoff for direction. Kristoff nodded. So Jase took out the key from his pocket and unlocked his manacles. They fell to the wood floor with a thud. Lars then rubbed his wrists in relief. He then grabbed the wheel while Gunnolf hissed at him, as if saying 'try me.' Lars then steered the boat towards one of the caves along the wall, knowing which of them was the true beginning.

"It's been so long since I laid eyes on this place" he said to himself. Then, louder, he said "I suggest you keep your balance and not fall in the water. IF you fall here, this place has a way of making sure you don't get back up."

Then the boat entered the first tunnel, through the maze that would hopefully take them to Elsa.

* * *

Skouch flew hard and fast to the Master's mountain fortress. He was exhausted and wounded from his imprisonment, but he was excited for his supposed accomplishments, believing Boran to have already arrived with Elsa. He landed on the wide cave entrance. The cave floor extended out from the mountain, which the occupants had called the "front porch". It was wide enough to accommodate a few dragons, and then some, giving Skouch plenty of room to land. His wings stirred up the dust as he landed, throwing it into the air. Once his feet were firmly on the ground, he looked and saw Klydrun sitting to the side just outside the main cave, along with the red dragon, the one that broke him out of prison, on the opposite end, keeping watch. He was cleaning some birds he had shot while hunting down below. The de-feathered carcasses he had already cleaned hung on a line strung between two rock outcroppings. He took notice of Slouch's wide, prideful grin, not taking his focus off his current chore.

"What're you so skippy about?" asked Klydrun without much interest as he ripped the gizzards out of a quail.

"Oh like you don't know" said Skouch, prancing into the cave's entrance. "And to think, I managed to do what the 'favorite student' failed to do, ha!" He then walked inside, paying Klydrun no further notice. Klydrun did likewise, continuing with his work.

"Tell me" said Klydrun to the other dragon without even turning. "Did you notice a Snow Queen come through this gate today?"

The dragon responded by shaking his head, accompanied by a low growl.

Klydrun nodded as he began plucking a new bird. "Then I don't think we're going to see that stupid grin for a while."

Skouch made his way through the large subterranean hallways to one of the Master's work rooms, where he dabbled in potions and other experiments. The room in question lied near the center of the mountain's main spire, deep in its heart. Two human guards opened the two large doors, letting the dragon through. The Master stood with his back turned to him, working with some bottles of magical liquids on a stone table, mixing them together with multicolored smokes entering the air.

"Master!" he said, greeting him with a low bow. "Are you pleased with our success in Arendelle?"

The Master paused his current task, but made no motion to turn around. He was miniscule in size compared to the 3 ton dragon, but his demeanor was anything but small. "Tell me, Skouch, what 'success' are you referring to?"

Skouch looked up, confused. "Why, the capture of the Snow Queen, of course."

The Master then continued on with his potion making, He grabbed glass bottle of a blue liquid, frost covering the glass bottle containing it. "I realize you're faithful to the cause, and no doubt a cunning warrior, but you are a fool nonetheless."

Skouch now stood erect, his eyes wide in surprise. "Did, did the dragon slave not return with the Snow Queen?"

The master then poured the contents of the blue, sparkling liquid into a bowl. Immediately, a frosty mist shot out of it. "If she were here, do you think I would be in a better mood?"

"But, but he had her! I saw him leave myself! She was under his spell!"

"Then why didn't you accompany him here, with that most precious cargo?"

"I, I had been taken captive by a fire-wielder taking refuge there. But I escap..." he began to say, but lost the words in his mouth. In an instant, he found himself frozen, not with ice mind you. His muscles and bones had become so rigged, he became like a living statue. Only his eyes moved, showing fear when a painful, tightening sensation erupted all along the surface of his body, squeezing him inward like the as if he were thousands of feet below the ocean's surface with the weight of the water crushing him. Then he realized that he had ceased breathing.

The Master sighed, continuing on with his work, unconcerned with the dragon's state, being that he was the one causing it. "Did you know, that I can feel more or less the condition of all my slaves? Let's use your fallen squad for example." He reached over his table and picked up a stirring spoon, then began stirring his concoction. All the while, Skouch's body trembled as his panic increased. He looked to his master pleadingly, but was otherwise unable to make any audible noise. The Master continued, "One died by the hands of the elf captain, while the others were frozen by the Snow Queen herself. But then, the third one, Boran was his name, I felt something strange with him. I felt the darkness leave him, but not his life."

The Master now turned, only slightly, to Skouch, his face still concealed in his shroud. "There are only two ways the darkness of a Dark Mirror can leave a host and leave him alive: Either through a turquoise crystal..." He then turned back to his work, staring hard at the wall with a cross look. "Or with the help of my old friend." The Master then put his bowl down, then walked to Skouch, his head bowed so as to not show his face. Skouch trembled more as he silently begged for mercy, his lungs burning for air. "So, not only did you fail to bring me her Majesty, but now she is here, in the Lands North, and with that former slave as her guide!" he shouted. "She could be in the hands of the enemy by now!"

Then, without even blinking, the Master willed Skouch to be free. The dragon fell to its stomach with a thunderous thud, gasping for air. He took five heavy breaths before daring to answer. "Forgive me!" he said in a trembling, frightened voice to the shorter being before him. "Please, spare me!"

The Master shook his head. "Your intentions are pure, but be lucky I am short of true followers my friend."

"I, I will go find her then myself" said Skouch, still cowering. "Give me a new command, and I will track her down."

"No, no now it is to late" said the cross Master. "She has had a good start now with the dragon as her steed, and it is clear that she can simply suede more slaves if I send them her ways."

"Then, send me alone."

"No, now is not the time to risk the few followers I have. The Lights will be meeting soon, and I will need all of my followers to defend this fortress." He then turned back to his table, where the contents of his bowl now gave off a silvery gleam. "I have waited to long to go making hasty decisions. Be patient my friend. In time, you will redeem yourself. In time, I will have my revenge."

* * *

 **So, we now escalate this story! All parties are now out in the unknown, with only more twists and turn to cover! Sorry about the wait. Had a breakthrough in my original story, got caught up in "The Batman" series, saw Junglebook, and had to break up a parrot fight... which then ended up getting my fingers all bit up... yeah, it hurts to type, so appreciate what I am doing!**

 **See you all later. Please review!**

 **-Batman**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Frozen Fire

* * *

Boran flew out over the glacier, which ended at a cliff's edge, a cliff that marked the edge of the mountains. Once out over the edge, a vast landscape spread out below. An inland sea separated the mountain range from the rest of the vast, green rolling hills across. Taking a shallow dive, he descended down, crossing the narrow sea and over the rolling hills. It was a spectacular landscape, with snow capped mountains all along the East, while a river ran across the plains into the sea. The hills looked like tall green waves in a sea of grass. Flowers of all shapes and colors dotted the praries. In the distance, to the West, the faint tree line could be seen of the forests where they were heading.

Boran could have cried. It wasn't that long after all since he'd seen his home, but to see it through _his_ own eyes, without the never-ending battle against the evil that controlled him. He was free to see beauty again, something he never thought he would have again. By the grace of God, he was free, free to fly where he wanted to go, to breathe the air, to feel the wind against his wings, and to see the colors of the rolling hills again.

"My home" he said. "Do you see... your Majesty?" he asked. He looked back to check on his passenger. Instead of looking over to the majestic scene before them, she chose to keep her eyes shut tight, gripping the dragon's neck for dear life. Frida flew beside them, rolling her eyes at Elsa's undignified posture, which rang 'child-like'.

All the while, Elsa continued to mutter to herself "Justholdonjustholdonjustholdon..."

"Are you alright back there?" he asked.

"Not until we land!" she shouted over the wind as she readjusted her grip.

"You know I've been flying all my life right? The odds of us falling are slim to none."

"Oh I'm sure!" she said, refusing to open her eyes.

"Maybe if you open your eyes it would help."

"Oh that's alright! Just keep your eyes on the sky!"

"OK, again, this is second nature to me. We're not going to crash."

"Oh I trust you..." Elsa took the chance to peek between her eyelids. No sooner than she did did she immediately regret it, feeling nauseous seeing how high she was. "Ah!" she said as she clung on tighter. "There, I opened my eyes! Now just get us there!"

"Look out, not down" Boran suggested.

Elsa said nothing. Instead, curiosity winning out, she peeked at the landscape before her. She was captivated by the seemingly endless hills of green. The afternoon sky was filled with few clouds, letting the sunlight fill this ancient land. She couldn't help open her mouth in awe. Then she caught sight of something in the distance ahead of them, a tall, man made structure of some sort. As they approached, she had to open both eyes to get a good look, but still choosing to hang on tight without lifting her head. It was a tower of some sort.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Ah, so you are looking then?" he said smartly. He couldn't see it, but Elsa narrowed her eyebrows at him. "Honestly, I have no idea. Some tower from some ancient civilization long before the cataclysm I suspect."

They passed by it. It stood alone, without any smaller structures down below to suggest a settlement. The small roof had caved in, with one half of the tower having fallen apart some time ago. The vines and weeds growing among the stones gave it a rustic look, though going inside the unstable structure was a death wish.

"What was the cataclysm?" Elsa asked, remembering back to when Pabbie had mentioned it, not knowing himself.

"No idea. Way before anyone's time really. All us Northlander's know is that we came from here, then something drove us off."

"But no one wrote it down?" she asked questioningly.

"Someone did, but they were very vague. Some sort of plague or famine or something. Something about the land itself I think. I'm honestly not the one to ask. History wasn't my thing."

Boran then flapped his wings hard to adjust his flight path. With the sudden jolt, she was immediately reminded of how high she was and pressed her body to the dragon's neck in order to feel just a little bit safer.

"Sorry" he said. "We still have a few hours left, so just hang in there."

"Yeah... right" Elsa said, afraid to open her eyes again.

Hours passed before they passed over the edge of the forest. Again Elsa peaked, seeing thick, dark green woods below, many acres of forest passing beneath them in a matter of seconds. "How much further?" she asked as she shut her eyes again.

"A few minutes now" He said. "Just give me a minute to get my bearings." The dragon kept a good distance over the woods, occasionally swaying left and right in his search for visible landmarks in the forms of larger trees and clearings. Then, he said "Ah ha, we're here!", then began to descend. Both dragon and snow hawk descended to a narrow clearing hidden among two strips of large, old willow trees on either side. As he approached the ground, he flapped more rapidly just before landing. Leaves, twigs and other forest debris blew out of the way from the breeze made by his wings. Then he touched down with his hind legs first, then his front legs. "Alright Your Majesty" he said as he lowered his head, "we've landed."

"Yes!" Elsa said with great elation. She let herself fall off the dragon's neck, falling onto a pile of snow she made absentmindly. In elated joy, she began making a snow angel in it as Frida landed beside her. "Land! I've missed you!" she said.

Boran growled in annoyance. "You're very melodramatic" he said. He then looked up to the edge of the long narrow clearing. The gates to the troll city of Golth were rudimentary at best, appearing to the untrained eye as ruins from some long lost city, overgrown with small shrubs and mosses. What caught his attention though was that the stone gate was partially open, and cracked. His eyes narrowed as he felt a reason to be alarmed. "You better stand close your majesty" he said in a low tone.

Upon hearing his tone, Elsa immediately got up, seeing the gates before her. She never knew the trolls to have any form of architecture, so seeing this was new. Boran then began walking towards the gates on high alert, Elsa following close behind with Frida on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"The gates shouldn't be open like that" he said. "And there is usually a welcoming committee to greet us."

Now that he mentioned it, Elsa couldn't remember a time when the trolls didn't _all_ come to greet her. She realized that these trolls might be different, but she still felt that that aspect about them would be consistent. Boran led the way, approaching the gate first. He tapped it with his fore paw, but even with his light touch, the gate fell backwards, slamming against the ground with a loud thud. Now with a clear view, the trio saw that the forest continued on past the gates, with holes in the ground and stone trails meandering the entirety of the city. There were thermal springs all around, giving off a mist that permeated the air, and creating that moist, humid environment that trolls needed to survive. Still, even though this was her first time here, Elsa knew something was wrong.

For one, it was quite. Not only was there no sign of any living person here, there were no birds in the trees, or any animal life whatsoever. There weresigns of a struggle; trampled earth, knocked down trees, holes dug out by some unknown assailants. Weeds growing over the torn up dirt gave away that this happened some time ago, a month at the most. Elsa felt a sudden weight in her stomach, imagining something horrible happening here. As they walked on, the continuing damage only confirmed both her's and Boran's suspicions.

"It's deserted" Elsa said.

Boran nodded. He turned his head in silence, scanning the area for a clue as to what happened. Then something caught his eye. Up ahead was a clearing; the city square. lines of carefully manicured stones formed a series of spirals and symbols, central to troll culture. Then, across the green grass, was the telltale sign of scorch marks. At the site of it, Boran shut his eyes. His body shook as he looked away.

"Boran?" Elsa asked. "What's wrong?"

Boran's head shook, showing deep remorse in what he knew happened here. Slowly, he opened his teary eyes. "I was here" he said in a trembling voice. He took his time as he continued "I, I attacked this city." He then looked ahead, scanning the city as his previously shrouded memories pieced themselves back together. "I remember now. We were sent to attack this place, some dragons and a few others, men I think..." He took a step forward. "The Master wanted more slaves. He, needed live prisoners to turn... but we were also commanded to cause as much destruction as possible..." he then shut his eyes as more memories surfaced. _Images of fire and the sounds of tortured cries passed through his mind. The trolls scurried into their holes, having no defenses against the onslaught of his own fire. Alongside him, men in suits of crude armor rushed passed, grabbing nearby trolls and dragging them off. All the while, he himself began digging out one of the holes to bring out the hiding people within._ The rest Boran immediately shut out, knowing full well what happened after that.

Instead, he caught sight of a lone, stoney hand sticking out from beneath some rubble. Seeing it unmoving only confirmed his suspicions of the fate of many of the trolls that night. He then bowed his head in great, distressing remorse, recalling the sins his body committed that night. "I killed innocents that night" he said. All at once in an almost overwhelming series of thoughts, he felt anger, remorse, and unbearable guilt. He remained quiet for some time, only his deep breathing making any noise.

For a time, Elsa remained silent, letting the dragon deal with this newfound horror on his own before intervening. Then, finally and with sincerity, she said "I'm sorry." Boran turned to her with wide, sad eyes. "You are not at fault here" she continued. "As far as anyone is concerned, you were an unwilling witness. You did not cause this."

Boran shook his head. "That doesn't change the fact that my claws..." he raised his claws " _These_ claws, were used to tear this city, and its people apart." He shook his head, driving more memories away as they came forth. "But you're right, lamenting on this won't stop what's coming... we need to move on. The next closest city is Shamrock, and that I know has to be still intact."

"How do you know?" Elsa asked.

"Because it is the Elf capital, and has the capacity to defend against the raids. They have to be still standing. Come on, let's get going" he immediately brought his neck down for Elsa to climb on.

"But, you've been flying for hours" Elsa said.

"There's no time to consider your fears your majesty. We must be leaving soon."

"I meant you need rest!" Elsa said in protest. "It's almost dark anyway, and I can't imagine flying at night to be safe."

Boran paused in thought. In the end, he had to agree. He raised his head. "Very well. Though can I request we not spend the night here? Out of respect?"

Elsa nodded. "Of course."

* * *

They moved on out the main gates, finding another clearing not far away to spend the night. The sun would still be out for a few more hours, but under the thick canopy the light would fade soon. Deciding on building a fire, Elsa went about collecting a few dry sticks and branches for Boran to light. Once she felt she had a descent size pile accumulated, she walked over to the center of the clearing, but there was Boran, dragging a dead tree in his teeth to the same spot with little effort. He then twisted his neck, snapping the thick trunk in two. Elsa stood with her now insignificant pile of wood as Boran continued to tear the trunk into smaller logs. Pausing for a moment, Boran looked at Elsa. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing" she said as she tossed her now useless pile of wood back into the forest.

"Did you find any food?" he asked as he worked on his log.

"Oh, I found some berries!" she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of some red berries she found. "I mean it's not much..."

"Oh, that will go well with this!" Boran reached over behind him with his mouth, then pulled out a large mass of brown fur. He then dropped what Elsa realized was a dead deer in front of her. Elsa recoiled at the site, momentarily mortified at the dead stag. She cringed, gritting her teeth in disgust. Boran just smiled, seeing only food and not the dead animal. Elsa saw once again the white streak across his face, but was still afraid to bring it up. "Oh... great" she said with a fake grin.

Boran saw her dissatisfied face. "Is it alright? Do humans still eat meat?"

"Oh, yeah... I just never saw it unprocessed before. You know, skinned and sliced." Elsa had nothing against meat. In fact, she did enjoy skirt steak herself. That being said, she tried not to imagine the gory process of what lead to that steak.

"Oh, well let me..." he then brought his left claw down on the deer and prepared to bite down on the head to begin ripping it off.

"Oh that's alright!" Elsa said, waving her hands for him to stop. "You know meat's probably not the best thing anyway, given the stress of the day. I'm fine with my berries."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It'll only take a moment."

"I'm sure!" she said. Desperate to change the subject, she said "Hey, how about we get the fire going." Though the cold never bothered her, and she guesses it didn't bother dragons either, the light did a lot to give her a sense of security.

"Oh, of course" he said. He went back to the logs and shuffled them around a bit to better center them. "Alright, stand back." Elsa and Frida stood back as Boran breathed in to light the fire. He aimed at the logs, and prepared to fire a short burst of flame, just enough to set the logs ablaze. But then, just as he felt his magic stir inside, something didn't feel right. As the magic went up his throat, it felt different, more cool than the warmth he was used to. Still, he fired away, breathing his fire magic out his mouth. But instead of fire as he intended, a blast of ice came out, freezing the logs together with a series of jagged icicles.

Boran recoiled at the sight. His insides felt all wrong all the sudden. It wasn't painful, or even discomforting, but different it was. "What?!" he said in surprise. "Was that you!?"

"No" said Elsa. She was just as shocked at the sight. Instead of fire, the dragon breathed ice. Not knowing the full extent of what this meant for Boran, Elsa took a few steps forward, examining the ice. "I didn't know you could do that."

"I, I can't! No dragon can!" he said with wide eyes. He breathed again, but again, only ice came out. "No, no this can't be happening!" he said, now panicking. "What's going on?! Where's my fire? What happened to my fire?!" He stared at his new creation of jagged rays of icicles. In it, he saw a brief reflection of himself. For the first time in days, he was able to see his face, as well as the white scar across his face. He leaned in closer to get a closer look. "Where did this come from?" he asked, pointing to the scar with his claws.

Elsa said nothing. Now panic swirled in her, wishing she had said something earlier about the scar. "I, I put it there" Elsa finally said hesitantly.

Boran looked at her quizzically. "What?" he asked.

"I put it there" she said again. "When I removed the dark mirror from you." Now she began to speak more quickly, hoping to explain herself in full before he reacted. "I shot at you with my magic in the head, in self defense. That's how the scar got there. But my magic never did this before..."

"You did this?" he asked in disbelief. Elsa could only stare back with remorse. "You stole my fire?"

"No!" Elsa said. "Boran, I, I didn't even know this was possible! I've hit people with my powers before, and this never happened!"

"Dragon's aren't humans!" Boran snapped, his anger building. "We're magical beings! Fire is our magic! It's what defines us! And mine is gone."

"Wait" Elsa said. "Let me try and take them out. Just hold still, please." She waited for Boran to calm down. Finally, he stood still, awaiting for her to do something. Elsa closed her eyes, then focused. She held her hand out to the dragon, feeling for her magic inside. But after about ten seconds, she could find nothing. She searched further and deeper for another few seconds, but again found no trace of her magic. She continued on like this, despite knowing it to be hopeless, for Boran's sake. She had hurt one too many people with her powers already, and she wasn't about to let this be a permanent affliction. But after a whole minute, she lowered her hand, her face frowning with defeat.

Boran's hopeful look vanished with despair. "Nothing?"

Elsa shook her head, lowering her hand. "I can't feel anything. I don't understand..."

Boran shook his head with ferocity. He gritted his teeth, letting out an angered growl. He looked so terrifying that Elsa took a few steps back, preparing for the worse. Boran hissed one more time, looked at her with stern, cat like eyes, then turned and extended his wings. With one flap, he hovered up into the air.

"Boran, wait!" Elsa called after him.

"Just leave me alone!" he snapped back. He flapped two then three more times before disappearing into the night sky. Elsa stood there, listening as the noise of his flapping faded away into the night.

Elsa stood there, staring up into the sky. The sun had finally set, and it was dark now. The woods were quiet, and pitch black. All at once, Elsa felt uneasy in her surroundings. She was alone, with only her falcon, in an alien land with no guide. She was alone.

* * *

And hour passed, and Elsa decided to make a makeshift ice shelter to separate herself from the dangers outside. Not in the creative mood, she settled for a dome shaped structure reminiscing an igloo. Unable to make a fire on her own, she formed a small structure of ice that glowed, having a spark of Elsa's concentrated magic inside. It wasn't as bright as a fire, but the soft glow eased her mind at least. She formed a bed of ice for herself, and a perch for Frida to sit on.

She sighed heavily as she placed Frida on her perch. "I'm a mess."

Frida chirped in response.

"Just another life injured by my powers. I mean I didn't mean to, though I guess I never meant to hurt anyone. Least of all not Anna." She lied down on her bed now. "She must be worried sick. They _all_ must be worried sick. Jase, Kristoff, Matthew, Olaf, everyone. I need to get home now, and I ended up alienating my only guide." She sighed. "Now I'm lost in some God forsaken wilderness, with no idea where I am or how to get home."

Frida chirped again with optimism.

"Oh sure, find a dragon who's probably miles away by now. Even if I could find him he wouldn't want to help me."

Frida then chattered a series of warbles and chirps.

"I guess I should get some sleep. Worrying won't help." Elsa yawned. She realized then that she hadn't changed out of her dress since her abduction. She was covered in tears, scruff marks, and dirt. Her hair she didn't even want to look at. "At least I can change" she said with some optimism. She raised her hands, willing ice magic to change her appearance.

But then she heard a noise outside, something that sounded like a large animal moving through the underbrush. Elsa looked to her door, hoping it to be Boran returning. She went and opened the door, despite Frida's nervous calls. She then called out "Boran?"

She heard sticks snapping under someone's foot, but she still couldn't see, even in the full moon. She held out her hand and let her magic glow, giving her more light. "Boran is that you?" Now Elsa could see some large shape coming at her, but as it got closer, Elsa saw that the proportions were not right for it to be a dragon. Dread building up, she willed the glowing magic in her hand to grow brighter. Then a pair of green glowing eyes looked at her, followed by a growl. She could see a grey, textured skin in the light, with bits of green in it. As it came closer, she realized that it was walking upright on two legs. It's silhouette reminded Elsa of Marshmallow, but with a smaller head and wider arms. Soon, before Elsa could get a clearer image, it began charging at her, followed by a roar-like yell.

Elsa wasted no time in jumping back inside, then slamming the door shut. "That's not Boran!" she told Frida with fear in her voice. She blasted the door with ice magic, sealing it with a thick layer of ice for good measure. She stood back, just as Frida flew over to her shoulder. She felt the ground shake with each step that creature took, causing the whole ice structure to rattle. Then, the door, along with half the wall, shattered like a broken window pane as the hulking creature broke through. Elsa fell back as small chunks of ice slammed into her all over. Frida on the other hand was crushed beneath a slab of ice. Being made of snow, there was nothing to injure, though the weight of the slab prevented her from moving. Not hurt too bad, Elsa looked up, seeing the creature clearly for the first time.

The creature must have been as big as marshmallow, if not bigger. It had stony skin, not unlike the trolls, but it was much bigger, and had more developed arms and legs and a smaller head by proportion. It moved about with its long arms grabbing the ground, balancing out the creature. Its teeth looked like stalactites and stalagmites, showing only when it opened its mouth to roar. She didn't know what to call this thing, but it was certainly not something she wanted to know better. It found her with its crystal like eyes, then charged at her with more speed than she anticipated. She got up and formed a wall of ice between her and it, then turned to run. The creature began smashing the wall to bits as Elsa formed an opening behind her shelter and ran out into the woods. She didn't make much ground as the monster crashed through the ice, sending the whole structure down in large chunks of ice. It closed in on her fast as it crashed through the woods like nothing. Running blind, Elsa tripped and caught her foot on a fallen branch, twisting it in the process. She felt sticks and stones scrape her skin as she fell down, adding to her injuries. She knew she was in trouble, but adrenaline managed to numb most of the pain.

She turned, seeing the creature take a few more bounds at her. With not other choice, Elsa shot forth a blast of magic at it. The magic hit the beast in the chest, but only served to stop it in its tracks. None of he ice stuck on, instead gliding of the animal's stone skin like water on wax. It stood before her now with a fixed glare, growling in a low tone. Again Elsa blasted it, but like before her magic glided off, having no effect on it. Instead of wasting her efforts on a third attack, and unable to move, she formed a dome of ice around herself, praying that the thing would not break through. For a moment, nothing happened. She got a glance at her ankle, which was now red with a good sized scrape along her ankle bone. Then the dome cracked as the beast smashed its fists against it. It did this again and again, like a young child in a tantrum, further shattering the ice. She focused on reforming the ice as it cracked, but found her magic unresponsive. Instead, the giant seemed to be winning out.

Then, in one last effort to rid herself of this monster, Elsa let out an unrestrained yell, willing herself to loose control as she sent fourth all of her magic up at the monster, dissolving what was left of her ice dome. At first, some of it glided off the beast, but was enough to throw it off balance. Then, much to its surprise, ice began to stick on, layer by layer onto its skin. Now the animal took a few steps back, for once on the defensive as the queen's rage of ice and wind pushed it further and further back. Ice was now creeping into its rocky joints, leaving his arms immobile. Then, just as Elsa's strength began to leave her, the beast fell onto its back. Elsa finally relented and fell to her knees as her magic ceases. Looking up, she saw the giant struggle to get up with its frozen arms. It flipped itself around, eventually breaking the ice using brawn alone. Now free, it turned to look at her, then roared in defiance, no doubt ready for round two. Knowing that showing weakness could prove fatal, Elsa ignored the searing pain in her left ankle and stood up, glaring right back at the beast.

Then, to both of their surprise, something huge came out of the sky and landed just behind Elsa. The giant cowered back at this new contender. Elsa turned, but instead of fear, she felt relief, seeing it to be her guide.

Boran, standing just behind Elsa, had just flown back and, seeing the giant, immediately went to Elsa's side. He had his wings extended, giving him the appearance that he was bigger than he was. His eyes narrowed at the beast, then he let out an ear-piercing, reptilian roar that shook the air around them. The monster stood its ground for only a second more before turning to flee, bounding back into the woods in the same way it came. Then Boran let out another, deeper roar, just for good measure.

Feeling safer, Elsa allowed herself to collapse, the pain in her ankle growing more intense. She went to pull her ankle to herself, but stopped when a shock went up her leg. She hissed at the sensation.

The threat gone, he turned around and looked at her. "You're hurt" he finally said.

Elsa only nodded. "I think it's only scratched. I'll be fine. What was that thing?"

"An ogre, and you were lucky. They're usually resistant to attacks with magic." He then looked her over for further injuries. "I'm sorry. I should have never had left you alone."

"It's alright" she found herself saying. "I'm fine. I'll be back on my feet in no time."

"But it could have been worse" he said. He looked back into the woods, ensuring that the ogre was gone.

"Boran, it's fine" Elsa insisted. "I should be the one apologizing to you" she told him. By that time, Frida had escaped her predicament and flew over, giving Elsa a face for not immediately going to her rescue. "Sorry" Elsa said to her, then to Boran "I'm sorry about what happened. I should have said something sooner" she said sincerely.

To this, Boran said "I'd be lying if I said this was alright by me. Fire is sacred to a dragon. Ice is, well it's alright, but..."

"But it's cold" Elsa finished.

Boran nodded. "This isn't your fault. You were just defending yourself. I shouldn't have acted like that."

"But I hurt you" she said.

"And I took you from your home" he said.

"Yeah, well, I can't really blame you for that can I? The man who sent you is the one I'm angry with."

Boran shook his head. "Then, this is neither of our faults, is it?" he said, bemused by the fact.

Elsa smiled. "I guess not."

"Then that settles it. You stop blaming yourself, and I'll stop blaming you. Deal?"

Elsa shrugged, settling for that. "Deal."

"I'm glad" he said as he shook his head. "Well, it's been a long day, and we've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow. Let us get some rest then."

"I agree" said Elsa. Boran then lied down on the spot, curling his tail around himself. He lied his head down and sulked. Elsa could see, even in the dim light of the moon through the trees, that the dragon was truly scared by what happened. At the beginning of the day, she was ready to kill this creature. Now, all she could feel was pity for it. Before she could find a place to sleep, she felt compelled to say something, to offer hope of any sort. "I can help you."

Boran lifted his head. "What?"

"I can help you with the ice. To learn how to use it I mean. I think I owe you that much."

Boran shrugged. "I guess I'm not getting rid of it any time soon. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do."

Elsa was about to turn to go to sleep when Boran said "You're really her, aren't you?"

Elsa turned back. "I'm sorry?"

"The Snow Queen of legend. You're her, right?"

Elsa was beginning to despise that title. Since her coronation, she had been given several such nicknames, along with 'Ice Queen', 'Mistress of Snow', and 'The Winter Queen', many titles with synonyms of winter elements. But now this one specifically has brought her nothing but trouble. "No" she told him sternly. "No I'm not her."

Boran cocked his head curiously. "Is that not why I was sent to kidnap you?"

"Some have this idea that I'm her, but it's obviously a mistake.

Boran raised his head, observing her carefully. "No normal ice wielder can put out a dragon's flame, not the flame at our hearts. That should be impossible to all except one."

"Well, I guess I'm just strange then" she said stubbornly.

Boran paused for a moment, pondering this young woman before him. "Might I ask why you are so sure of this?"

"Because I can't be it" she said. "Life just got normal for once. I'm at peace with myself, and if you knew me you would know that that's a huge accomplishment. I'm not, anxious about what life will hand me next."

"Except for this?"

"Something _normal_ " Elsa deadpanned. "I've had my fare share of peril and drama to last me a lifetime. I just want to go home to my worried family."

"Well, for your sake, I hope your right" said Boran before lowering his head one last time.

Elsa just stood there for sometime before fining a comfortable place to sleep, hoping too that she was right.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait. Been busy with my original story, and let me say its going well.**

 **I was really looking forward to writing this, and that's not just because I have a thing for reptiles. I'm just really liking this character of Boran, and I quite frankly can't wait to get back to him. But now, I must move on to Anna and the others. That's another section I'm looking forward to covering, will defiantly be a challenge, given the many characters to cover in such a mind altering environment.**

 **Stay tuned!**

 **Also, just letting you know, reviews are what gives me the incentive to write more, so please feel free to leave your thoughts below!**

 **-Batman**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

The Sound of Silence

* * *

It had been an hour since the little yacht sailed into the narrow opening to the Maze, as Lars has called it since there was no official name. Past the stone wall of the coastline, the Maze spilt up into many passageways just wide enough for a small ship to meander through. The land between them was nothing but steep cliffs and jagged boulders with no sign of life, plant or animal. Not even the hardy lichens touched this rock. In a few places, the stone formed arches over the waterway, with the boat just able to squeeze under them. All the while, a light mist followed them, not enough to obscure their vision, but enough to add to the spooky atmosphere. Looking at the rock face on land, some could make out twisted, malformed faces appearing in the rocks, and non of them seemed inviting. For a while no one spoke, for they were mesmerized by this exotic, captivating yet eerie place.

Lars kept his eyes locked on the waterway at all times. Even to the experienced seafarer, the rocks and cliffs looked alike, and no doubt would have felt like going in circles before long. but Lars had memorized the finer markers carved into the rocks; obscure symbols and shapes, invisible to even the best navigators. Only one who had meticulously studied these markers knew what to look for.

It was boredom that finally broke the silence when Wes decided to teach Olaf a song. His only instruments was a wood cup and his hands. In a rhythmic fashion, he repeatedly picked up the cup, put it down, and twirl it in-between clamping his hands. He did it slowly so Olaf could watch and learn. Gunnolf took notice and sat nearby, shifting his stair from man to snowman as he tried to understand this odd game.

" _When I'm gone_ " Wes sang in a less than perfect pitch. " _When I'm g-one_... come on Olaf keep up!"

"I'm trying! said Olaf as he clumsily moved the cup from hand to hand and floor.

"... _You're gonna miss me by my hair"_ Wes continued, taping the cup with a near perfect rhythm. "Y _ou're gonna miss me everywhere, oh you're gonna miss me when I'm gone_."

Olaf struggled to find any beat as he awkwardly tapped the cup between his twig hands and the ship's floor. Believing he had a decent beat, Olaf got excited. "Look! I'm doing it! I've got..." Then Olaf lost his grip and flung his cup into the air, over the boat and into the water. Gunnolf tilted his head with a short whine. "Oopsy" said Olaf.

Wes smacked his forhead with his hand. "Oh woe is me! I'm never going to get that acapella group together now! " He got up and stomped away with a frustrated pout. Olaf shrugged and played with Wes' cup, trying again. "Probably better of if I used guns instead of cups" Wes continued. Gunnolf shrugged and walked off to the front of the ship.

Jase, on the other hand, found it impossible to become bored while their mortal enemy steered their ship, and he wasn't alone. Anna, Kristoff, and their recent addition Kira likewise were on edge, afraid that Lars might try something. Kristoff walked over and patted Gunnolf. With his keen senses, he was their best bet on an early warning. Aside from the naïve Olaf and the overly confident Wes, only Jethro and Marge remained somewhat calm, being that they had no firsthand experience with Lars.

From just below the wheel on the main deck, Jase asked Lars in a loud voice "How much further?"

"Anxious are we?" said Lars. When Jase didn't respond, he continued, speaking loudly for all to hear. "We're almost through the first third of our journey, and where the fun art begins."

"Wait, _fun_ part?" asked Anna, looking back.

"Oh yes. This first part demands only knowhow from the navigator. What we've seen so far could be accomplished by man alone without the aid of magic. The next two parts however are heavily enchanted, one of which has the potential to drive a man mad.

"Mad?" asked Jethro, now curious. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it will burrow into your head and bring out all the bad things you burry deep in the back of the mind. It will make you loony, enough to jump overboard, or worse. Which is why we must tie ourselves to the boat, tightly to prevent any accidents of course."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" said Anna. "What do you mean tie ourselves up?! Not with you at the wheel!"

"Wait, hold on!" said Jethro. "I got a glance at that map before it was burned, and it mentioned nothing about enchantments meant to drive us insane."

Lars chuckled. "Oh really?"

"Yes. It mentioned misdirection and paranoia, enchantments that will get you lost and, eventually _lead_ insanity, but only _if_ you got lost to prevent you from finding your way out."

At that, Lars laughed. "Ha! And you were going to lead these people here?! When you didn't even understand the bloody map?!"

"I understood the map!" said Jethro, firm in his convictions. "It was given to me by the best mapmakers in the kingdom!"

"This sounds like an excuse to leave us helpless while he dispatches us one at a time" said Anna.

Now Jase went over and grabbed Wes, who remained silent up until now. "You've been here before, is this true?"

Wes gulped. "Well, uh, perhaps, maybe..."

"WES?!"

"Yes! Yes!" said Wes, pushing him off. "Sheez, I thought you already knew that part!"

"Well there you go, straight from the back stabber's mouth" said Lars. Wes shot him a glare, but said nothing more.

Kira, who had remained near the front of the ship and out of the discussion, felt her heart racing at the talk of being tied up and being helpless. Painful memories resurfaced, building themselves up to a degree that she couldn't remain quiet anymore. "This is insane!" she said. "Let him tie us up while he has the run of the place?"

"Oh, that reminds me" said Lars. "You my dear need a _special_ restraint."

"What?" she asked, exhaling sharply.

"You can freeze those ropes off with ease, and under that enchantment you'll be the most destructive thing on this ship. Wes" he said to his brother. "I assume you have some crystals in that satchel of yours."

All eyes turned on Wes now. He looked at them nervously, knowing what was in his satchel he brought from him secret lair.

"Wes, you didn't" said Anna.

Wes said "I, I have some, yes."

"How could you!" said Kira, backing away.

"Hey, I didn't know you were even coming with us!" said Wes. "I have tons of precautionary stuff in that bag! I mean I've got bandaids, throwing knives, rope, dynamite, phasing crystals, backup rope, a flare gun, backup dynamite, fog crystals, some other crystals. Missing that evasive kyber crystal though..."

Kira didn't hear anything after 'blue crystals'. She was too familiar with what they can be used for. "I'm not putting those cursed things on my hands again!"

"You're not" said Anna. "None of us are restraining ourselves! If there is some sort of enchantment, we can deal with it. I mean, we've been through worse, right?"

"It's the 'worse' that makes you more susceptible" said Lars. "This will make your worse fears, your hidden guilts and darkest secrets a reality."

"Then how come _you_ 're not going to tie yourself up?" asked Marge, putting her hands on her hips.

"I've been through here before. I've conditioned myself to keep my mind focused. And besides, I won't be alone. Wes is conditioned to this as well."

"That's right" said Wes. "Now I can take on a whole slew of mind games and come out sane and mentally stable...stable... Yes I am Cory!" he shouted to a nonexistent third party.

Lars rolled his eyes. "And besides, your snow freaks over there" he pointed to Gunnolf and Olaf "will likewise be immune. This only affects mortals, and honestly I have no idea where to even classify them." Lars then looked ahead. "Better hurry up and decide, we're passing the second marker now."

Everyone turned to see that, up ahead, a large statue carved in rock appeared through the mist. It was of a large bearded ban, dressed in long robes, pointing ahead with an outstretched finger. Ahead was what appeared to be a wall of fog. It was thick, and unnatural in the way it didn't mix with the air around it, as if it were contained in a glass container between the rock walls on either side.

After brief contemplation, Kristoff was the first to speak. "I don't think we have a choice."

"No, no way!" said Jethro, shaking his head. "This wasn't on the map. I'll bet my life on it."

"Kristoff, maybe Jethro's right" said Anna.

"Hey, may I remind you that it was _you_ who came to _me_!" said Lars. "Make up your mind, am I your guide or not!"

Anna looked ahead, seeing the odd looking mist ahead grow closer as Lars steered the ship right to it. They were close now, and even this close they could see nothing through this fog. Despite her trying to see the logic of all this, she could not shake just how creepy it looked. Then she heard Gunnolf whimper. She turned, seeing him pull his tail between his legs and fold his ears behind his head as he took a step back. Suddenly, something clicked: Gunnolf was afraid of magic he couldn't see! In Arendelle, when Klydrun released his fog, Gunnolf acted the exact same way, sensing the magic within. This she couldn't deny.

"He's right" she said. "I can't believe I'm saying this but he's right."

Marge rolled her eyes. "Fine, you all tie yourselves up. Jeth and I will be just fine with our hands free!"

"Better talk some sense into your friends here" said Lars. "Leave them untied and they become liabilities. I've seen men try to sink the ship under this enchantment. Just sayin'"

"We aren't sinking any ships this day" said Jethro.

"Well that's a worse case scenario" said Wes, braving to speak up. "Best case is you just jump overboard."

"We're not tying ourselves up!" said Marge.

"Yes we are" said Anna.

"No I'm not!" said Kira. "You can't make me!"

"Kira, listen to me. I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Yes, _bad_!"

"Wait, not bad, I mean strong, a strong feeling."

"You're insane if you think you can trust him. Do you know what he's capable of?"

"Yes Kira, I do" Anna said. She spoke sympathetically, but with time running out, she was also losing her patience. "I remembered what he did."

"To you. What about _me_?!" Kira shouted. "I lost my childhood to him! Alright. I missed growing up because of him! I never got to see my parents grow old, or learn the life lessons they were supposed to teach me. I never got to say goodbye to my father because of him! I am not..." She stopped when she felt a flat piece of metal slap her wrist. Upon impact, it wrapped itself around her hand in a tight coil like a bracelet. Immediately she felt the painfully familiar sensation of the blue crystals suppressing her gift. She looked up in surprise to see Wesley wrapping one of the bracelet's Lars used on Elsa back in Berglia. Kira looked at Wes with surprise.

"I'm sorry about this" he said with regret.

"What are you, no! Get it off me!" She immediately went to push him off, but Wes already knew what to do next. Having a loop already tied, he pulled her other arm behind her and held her hands behind her back. He slipped the rope and pulled tight. "No! Let me go!"

"I'm really really sorry!" said Wes as he pulled her back to the railings. The others watched in surprise, unsure what to do at first. Between Kira's struggling's, Wes said "Lars is right guys. If you don't trust him then at least trust me. It's this or certain death.

"Let me go!" Kira shouted as Wes finished tying her up to the railing.

Once she was secured, Wes stepped back. "You guys trust me, right?"

* * *

"When did Wes become the take charge sort?" asked Anna, her hands tied in front of her on the railings next to Kristoff.

"He has been a little off this whole trip now that you mention it... well, _more_ off."

"How come the two of us have to be tied up together?" asked Marge, who was tied back to back to Jethro to the mast.

Wes, who was just finishing their knot, said "Well, I assumed since you two were a couple..."

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Jethro and Marge said in angry unison.

Wes flinched back. "OK, sorry. Sheez, I just assumed..."

"We're friends" said Jethro.

" _Right_ " said Wes sarcastically.

"I happen to be in a loving, committed relationship with a fantastic woman back home."

"Oh really, she's fantastic?"

"Yeah she is!" said Jethro.

"How do I know you're not just making her up?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Hey, it's perfectly normal for a man to make up a perfect yet pretend girlfriend to impress his friends."

"What? What sort of psycho would make up a girlfriend for such a stupid..."

"I'm not a psycho!" said Wes. He then stopped himself and raised his a hands. "You know what, I don't have time for this. We've got certain doom to avoid." He then turned around and walked out to the middle of the main deck. "So, everyone nice and comfortable?"

"He's kidding, right?" asked Jase, who was tied to the opposite railing on the left side of the ship.

"Sounds like a reasonable question" said Olaf, who, along with Gunnolf, Wes, and Lars, were the only ones not tied up.

"Just don't let him do anything stupid, alright Olaf?" asked Jase.

"You can count on me!" said Olaf.

Anna was tied only a few feet from the silent, hunched over Kira, looking away to the floor. "Hey, you alright?" Anna asked in a hushed tone.

"It's happening again" she replied. "I can't escape. And he's going to break me again."

"No he's not" said Anna. "He's not going to lay a figure on you, I promise. It'll be over before you know it." Her words didn't help much, as Kira just shied away more. Anna thought for a moment, then had an idea. She whistled. "Hey, Gunnolf, come here boy!" Gunnolf started from his sitting position, then trotted over, the floorboards creaking as the massive canine came. "Gunnolf, I want you to keep an eye of Kira. Don't let anything happen to her, got it?" Gunnolf nodded with a firm shake of his head, then leaned over and licked Kira on the face. For a brief moment, Kira smiled. She looked away again, but she seemed more at ease Anna thought.

"Get ready" said Lars as he sailed the ship along into the mist. Once past the wall, the mist separated just around the ship, forming a bubble of clear air around the ship. What came next is hard to explain if you haven't been there, but if it had to be put into words, it was a deafening silence. Before it was quiet by the absence of wind and waves and animals. Now it was something else, as if increasing the silence was a simple as increasing the sound. And what's worse, everyone seemed to want to continue that silence.

"And no one dared disturbed the sound of silence" muttered Wes in a sing song, hushed tone. He was almost startled when no one made any remarks. They just looked around, feeling a calming, yet uneasy sense overcoming them.

"So, when does this thing start?" asked Jethro in a soft voice, still determined that Lars was lying.

"Works differently with each person. Some take few minutes. For other's its..."

"Paulonio you no good scum!" shouted Marge, looking at something in the mid distance with a fiery glare of pure hatred.

"...quick" finished Lars.

"Let me at him!" Marge continued, struggling against the ropes.

"What on earth?" asked Anna.

"Her ex-boyfriend" deadpanned Jethro. "Not a pretty story."

"Was she worth it, huh, what she worth it?!" Marge screamed.

"I don't think I want to hear this" Anna said.

"What happens now?" asked Olaf.

"Now we make sure everyone stays tied up" said Wes, rechecking Marge's bonds. He flinched back when she tried to bite him.

"So when does the next one go?" Olaf asked.

Wes looked up to answer him, but caught sight of Jase's face. He looked confused, looking back and forth at nothing in particular, detached from his current surroundings. "Oh, right about now" said Wes.

 _Where before he was with his friends on the yacht, now Jase was in a very familiar place. He recognized it as his childhood home in Kalamar, more specifically his room. He looked around, taking in the sights and sounds, wondering how this could be. Normally, stewards lived in the castle alongside the royal family, or at least in a small mansion. In the ruined kingdom of Kalamar, however, the best the steward and his family got was a small two story house in the city. It wasn't too bad though. The roof was strong and the repairs were few._

 _Then, pulling him from his thoughts, he heard his mother's cry from the first floor. Without a moment's hesitation he bolted downstairs._

 _"Mom?!" he called out. "Mom! What happened?!"_

 _He only heard more crying until he made it downstairs and into the dining room. It was in this same dining room he told his parents he wanted to be a knight, and the very same where Elsa nearly died on the table from Hans' poisoned blade. He was stunned to find his mother on the floor, cradling her barely moving father. Jon lied with his hand clenched over his heart with a pail look about him. A trained physician, Merriam looked him over, looking for a sign of ailment. But as his wife, she was soon overcome with panic and grief as she realized he was having a stroke in the heart... or so she thought._

 _"Dad!" Jase called out. He went to his parents side and was about to help his dad up. But instead his hand phased through. He waved his hands over them again, but soon realized he was looking at a ghost image, a memory._

 _He only arrived about five minutes after the fact in real life. Now, he was in turmoil at seeing his father pass, Jon's last sight being his mother's grief strickened face. He was still fit for his age, only days away from his 67th birthday. But now, within seconds, his life faded from his face. Then he went limp, dead._

 _Merriam, after a moment of denial, shook her head, then buried her face in Jon's chest and wept. Jase watched on helplessly._

 _Then something caught his eye. He saw a figure through the window on the other side of the room through the kitchen. Jase got a brief look of a hooded figure before it left. Jase knew that hood and jacket well. It belonged to Klydrun._

 _In a flash, Jase left his mother and father, running out the door. He passed the first responders to the scene, phasing through them as if he were a phantom. He didn't even stop to look at their faces. He made it outside and looked around. After spinning around 360 degrees, he found the assassin again, darting into the shadows of an alleyway. Without a second to lose, Jase ran after him. He felt as if he were moving slow though, as if he was being held back._

In the real world, Jase was struggling against his bonds, trying desperately to break free. "He's getting away!" he shouted. "Stop him!"

"Two down, four to go" said Lars.

Anna and Kristoff looked nervously at Jase as he succumbed to the magic of this place. They, along with Jethro, were now nervous, afraid of what sort of mental torture awaited them.

"How are you holding up Kira?" Anna asked.

Kira shook her head. "Nothing yet." Seeing Jase and Marge, she too was becoming nervous.

"Maybe nothing will happen to us" said Anna. "Maybe we're immune or something..."

 _In an instant, Anna was transported from the yacht to her old room in the castle. For a moment, she fought the sensation, but was overcome as the moment felt more and more right, as if she were waking up from a daydream. She was now 9 years old. A 9 year old princess with not a care in the world. Before she could even try to comprehend how, she heard a knock on her door._

 _"Anna?" said Elsa's voice. She sounded younger she thought, more innocent, and less timid than she knew her. She immediately went to open the door. To her surprise, she saw her older sister of 13. She was in a bright green dress that said anything but drab and reclusive. "Wanna build a snowman?" she asked in a sing song voice._

 _Anna was confused at first. She knew her own history. Elsa was still hidden away in her room at this point, and she was to stay there for another five years._

 _"Anna?" Elsa continued. "Are you OK?"_

 _"What, oh, fine."_

 _"Well come on!" said Elsa in a cheerful, happy voice. "Poppa said we could play in the ballroom!"_

 _Anna was hesitant, still feeling that something was wrong. But her happiness was now winning out against logic. Why would she resist this? This is what she wanted right? A normal relationship with her sister? To grow up without any traumatic events or secrets and closed doors? Just one big happy family, right?_

 _So, without another thought, Anna went off to follow Elsa. She felt she was dragging behind, so she tried to run faster..._

* * *

"Elsa!" Anna called out in childlike glee. "Elsa come back!" She, like Jase and Marge, was now also trying to break free of her bonds.

" _Maybe nothing would happen to us. Maybe we're immune or something..._ " said Wes as he mocked Anna's optimistic remark just moments before.

"Still think you're right elf?" asked Lars.

Jethro just remained silent, saving what was left of his pride.

Lars blinked, then shook his head. He took a deep breathe, then exhaled, fighting off the enchantments. "How are you holding up Wes?" he asked.

"Just dandy" said Wes.

"Remember what I taught you. Keep your thoughts grounded."

"Brother, you won't find a more grounded head then my own!" said Wes as he rechecked Jase's bonds.

"You better stay grounded" said Kristoff. "If you go, we all go."

"Oh relax mountain man, I've done this dozen of times."

"You may have" said Lars. "I've been here more times than I can count, and lost many men along the way."

"Thanks, really reassuring" said Jethro sarcastically. "How long is..." Jethro then suddenly trailed off, looking left and right as if he was lost.

"We just lost Jethro" said Olaf as he went to check his ropes. "I wonder what they're all seeing."

"Buddy, I don't think your little naïve mind could handle it" said Wes.

"I'll have you know I witnessed Elsa in her evil mode. I'm talking evil dress, evil hair, evil dragon creatures. She even called me names."

"Really?" said Wes, intrigued. "Was she hot?"

"What? No she was cold. Really cold."

"But like an attractive cold, or like she's cool but hot, or like a crazy chick you might go out with just the one time just because she's oddly attractive, or you didn't care how much she hates you you just can't get enough of her?"

"She was throwing ice magic at us like daggers!"

"So the crazy chick you would go out with once?"

Olaf and Wes' conversation faded as Kristoff's mind blurred between reality and illusion.

 _Kristoff was on the ice, doing his job as usual. As far as he knew, Anna and Matthew were back at the castle safe and sound. Sven slept on the shore while he sawed down into the ice. He was alone that day, the other harvesters working on a fresh lake with thicker ice. This lake tended to give cleaner ice though, more presentable for the castle. When he had finished sawing, he was surprised to hear the sound of footsteps on the ice._

 _He turned to see a man approaching him. He was wearing a royal garment with a few medals on his chest. He was startled to realize he had known that face, but not in person. He was older than what he looked like in the painting._

 _He was Anna's father, King Adgar._

 _"Kristoff Bjorgman?" he asked in a stern voice._

 _Kristoff nodded, too stunned to say anything._

 _"So, you are the one who married my daughter?"_

 _Kristoff nodded. "That is me, yes."_

 _Adgar then looked him over. She shot him a look of disapproval. "A commoner, marrying into royalty?" he shook his head. "What makes you think you are worthy of my daughter?"_

 _Kristoff suddenly felt insulted. He also felt strange, given the circumstances. His father-in-law he had never met was somehow alive. Everything felt off, like he didn't have full control over his senses. Still, he responded "I love her, sir."_

 _"Love?" Adgar said with a sharp tone. "Love is only part of it my boy. You are fifty times beneath her station. No parents, no pedigree, no manners to speak of. No clue of how to behave or how to deal with the responsibilities she was born with."_

 _"I think I've faired pretty well."_

 _"You've faired by being lucky."_

 _"We've been married for over five years. We have a son, and they're happy."_

 _"That doesn't change the fact that you don't deserve her."_ _It was then that Kristoff noticed it: the ice beneath his feet was cracking. "Face it, you're just a lowly ice harvester who's lived in the mountains his whole life. She's a princess. Sooner or later, something will crack."_

 _Suddenly, deep fractures began to form in the ice, spreading out like a spider's web. Soon, large sheets of ice began shifting, water leaking through the cracks. "We got to get off the ice!" Kristoff told him._

 _"You get off. You were never meant to be in the presence of royalty in the first place."_

* * *

Kristoff almost immediately began trying to break free of his bonds. He didn't say much, but he was really fighting to break free.

"Looks like it's just you princess" said Lars to Kira.

No sooner did Lars address Kira did Gunnolf snarl, not moving from his position. Wes and Olaf were checking bonds at the time.

Kira shot him a venomous stare. "Just leave me alone" she said.

Lars looked ahead, careful about which turns he made in this confusing maze, all the while resisting the overwhelming urge to give in to the mind games. "I'm surprised you came."

Kira looked away. "Shut up."

Lars nodded and said no more.

Kira was doing everything in her power to keep from letting the enchantments work their ways into her mind. She had had enough with the mind games. It wasn't enough though, because the next thing she knew, she was alone, locked up in the room where Lars kept her aboard the Red Dragon.

 _She was afraid. She felt younger, and more vulnerable than before. All around her were blue crystals attached to the walls, all to keep her contained. It was a time early on in her captivity, before Lars learned how to control her 'properly', that is, when she would obey his every command, and before he was able to clear her mind to such a point to artificially strengthen her powers. It was a time when she was still not used to her new living conditions, when she was most afraid._

 _She was surprised to see that the door was slightly ajar. Seeing her chance, she ran to it and opened it gently. Peeking through, she saw no guards. Taking this chance, she snuck out, silently walking through the lower decks in a mad search for an escape. It didn't take long to find the stairs to the main deck of the ship. She was careful though, not wanting to be seen. But when she peaked up, she was surprised to see no one on top. More at ease, she walked up onto the deck, which was abandoned. Having seen no one below, she assumed she was alone on this ship._

 _"Little one?"_

 _Kira froze. It was Lars' voice, calling her by the name he used for her. He always said it with dual tones; gentle, but with a slyer, more devious slur underneath. It was that tone that frightened her the most about him. It was manipulative, and disturbing._

 _"Little one, where are you? It's time for your medicine."_

 _At that, she felt as if her insides were swirling around, like she wanted to throw up but couldn't. Her fear soon swelled up to overwhelming proportions. She spun around, not seeing where he was. She felt as if he could jump out from anywhere, grabbing her from behind, shoving some foul tasting liquid down her throat._

Kira began thrashing against her bonds in a mad attempt of escape. "Get away!" she called out. "Get away! I want to go home! No!"

As Kira struggled, Gunnolf lied down by her, helpless to comfort her. Wes went to check her bonds, but froze when he saw her screaming. "Leave me alone!" she cried, almost in tears. Wes could only watch, a deep knot forming in his gut, knowing who it was she was afraid of. He looked back to Lars for a reaction, but what he saw next surprised him. He had expected his long gone brother to be looking on with indifference towards her screams, no doubt hearing them many times before with deaf ears. But instead, he saw an uneasy look about him. He looked down and away from her, shutting his eyes from time to time, as if trying to drown them out. After about ten seconds of this, Lars shook his head hard and looked forward, refocusing onto the path ahead.

An hour passed of this. Wes and Olaf worked tirelessly to retighten their knots, all the while trying to ignore the mixture of scared, confused, and fiery looks in their companions'' eyes. Luckily, everyone's bonds held up till this time. Still, it was getting unnerving to see them all in this state, especially to the young minded Olaf.

"How much further?" he asked with worry.

"Another ten minutes at least" said Lars.

Just then, Marge broke out in another fit.

"Go on, run you miserable jerk. That won't save you!" Her voice grew more and more tired over time, but at the same time more distant from reality. More deranged.

Wes then scratched the back of his head. "I would hate to be that poor little Paulino guy right now." Then, with no warning, Marge slipped her right arm free. "Agh! Breech! Breech!" he cried as he dove down to her level to try and restrain her. Olaf saw his friend in need and immediately ran to help. Wes grabbed her arm with both hands. "Olaf quick! Get the rope and fix the knot!"

"On it!" said Olaf. He ran around the mast where Jethro was tied up to find the loose rope. Before he could get it though, Jethro snapped at him.

"Get back!" he spat, seeing some unknown enemy instead of the harmless snowman. It was enough for Olaf to bounce back, giving a shout of fright and surprise.

"Olaf, what's taking you so lon..." Wes then lost his grip on Marge and she went and grabbed his throat with a vice like hold. Wes gulped at the sensation of being choked.

"Ah ha!" Marge said with a beserk tone of victory. "Thought you could get away from me?"

"Oh no!" Wes struggled to say over his constricted airways. "She's associated me with the ex! OLAF!"

"I'm trying!" screamed Olaf as he tried to work around Jethro's struggles. Olaf went in again, but was kicked in the gut shen Jethro managed to raise his leg and side kick the poor snowman's torso clear across the room. "Uh, we've got a situation here!" said Olaf's head from the floor while his lower half ran to find his torso.

Wes used both hands to try and pry off the rampaging troll, but was powerless against her supernatural grip. "For the love of... Gunny! We need you!" he said with a croak.

Gunnolf looked on with concern. He whimpered.

"Agh! I don't care what Anna said. (Gasp!) I'M DYING HERE!" he said with great difficulty.

Gunnolf looked back to the frighten Kira. Deciding there was nothing to do with her anyway, he leapt over to Wes, leaving Kira alone. Wes tried to say something more, but Marge's grip increased to a point that he couldn't even breathe anymore.

"Retrain her!" shouted Lars.

Gunnolf looked at the scene with panic, not knowing what he should do, given his lack of hands. When Wes' face turned blue however, Gunnolf was forced to make a drastic choice. He bit down on Marge's arm. She shouted in pain, then let go of Wes. Seconds from passing out, Wes fell backwards, taking big, gasping breathes. He coughed, dizzy from the lack of air to the brain. Gunnolf held onto her arm until Olaf was able to reassemble himself. He then went over, grabbed the rope, and retied Marge's arm back in.

While Gunnolf and Olaf brought Marge under control, Wes was left on his back, staring up into the sky, his head spinning from the experience. Then, all the sudden, he sat up.

"Mom?" he said aloud. He went unnoticed by the still busy Gunnolf and Olaf, but was heard loud and clear by Lars.

"Wes? Wes are you still with us?" Lars asked.

Wes looked to Lars, but with a distant, unfocused look. He blinked, then jerked his head around again rapidly. "Mom?!"

At that, Lars knew he lost him. The attack had weakened him to a point of vulnerability. "Oh no."

Wes stood up now, though with difficulty, as he was still dizzy. "Mom, Mom I'm coming. Mom?!" He now walked off, towards the bow of the ship.

All at once, Lars knew his brother was in great danger of walking off the boat. Taking one hand off the wheel, he pointed to Wes. "Stop him!"

Olaf and Gunnolf looked up at Lars, then to Wes, who was now halfway to the bow. Olaf gasped, but it was Gunnolf who leapt all the way to him and pinned him down. Wes hit the ground with a grunt, but it wasn't enough to wake him. "NO! Get off of me! She's in trouble! MOM!" Wes shouted more, scraping at the floorboards with his nails in an attempt to get up.

"Hold him down!" said Lars, who took his eyes off the path. It was only for a second, but it was enough to make one fatal mistake. The ship continued on straight, right alongside a rock spire that stood out in the middle of the water. By the time Lars realized his mistake, it was too late. He tried to course correct by spinning the wheel left, but it wasn't enough to stop the boat from scraping alongside the rock. It shook the boat with such force that Gunnolf lost his balance and fell off of Wes. Wes then tried to get back up, but Olaf ran up and wrapped his arms around his feet in a tight hug. Wes lost his balance and fell forward with a thud.

"Wes! Get a grip!"

"Get off of me! Where's my mom!"

"How should I know?"

"Just get him restrained!" said Lars, who now kept his eyes on the road ahead.

What no one noticed however was the fact that, as the spire scraped the side of the boat, it hit Kira's ropes from outside the railing. The sharp rock tore through her bonds, snapping them off completely. Kira then fell on her side, completely free. The sudden impact shifted her vision entirely now.

 _She was no longer running from the unseen Lars aboard the Red Dragon, but on the current yacht by herself. By herself, expect for Lars at the helm. Seeing the situation before her, a new sense overcame her. She was no longer the scared girl running from her captors. That was long ago. She was now the young woman who had endured years of abuse and torture. Her fears were replaced by rage and anger. She saw before her the man responsible for her years of imprisonment, the man who ripped her from her family at such a tender age._

Back in reality, Kira stood, her eyes locked onto Lars with a harsh, ferocious stare, all her senses and reason pushed aside. She looked down at the bracelet made with the blue crystals. With one swift movement, she grabbed it and unwravled it from her wrist and tossed it into the sea.

Lars heard the splash and turned his attention from Wes. He saw Kira, standing unrestrained, with ice forming at her feet, spreading out around her in a circle. His eyes then shot wide open.

"Oh this is bad" he said. He looked back, seeing that Gunnolf and Olaf were having troubles keeping Wes still in order to tie him up. He was helpless now, for if he left the wheel to defend himself, they would no doubt crash or drift on into some other path, sure to be lost forever. With her powers, the snow creatures would be powerless to stop her anyway.

He was on his own with the young snow sorceress, one who he wronged in so many ways, and she was under a hypnotic spell to kill him.

* * *

 _Kristoff was forced to flee across the cracking ice. Yet with every turn, he saw Adgar before him, playing on his deep held insecurities._

 _"You are unworthy" he said. Kristoff then darted in another direction, only to find him again._

 _"She is too good for you."_

 _"Get away!" Kristoff shouted. He ran again in the opposite direction. He found himself at another dead end as the ice split apart too far for him to jump. Adgar was there on the other side._

 _"What can you possibly offer her in return?"_

 _Again Kristoff ran away. He leapt over cracks and slid across the ice with the skill and agility only an ice harvester had. And yet, it felt as if the shore was growing further and further away._

 _"You were supposed to provide for her, and instead she has provided for you."_

 _"That's not true!" Kristoff said._

 _"Did you take her into your home?" said Adgar._

 _"Did you provide for her financially?" Adgar said from another direction, shifting positions in an instant._

 _"What did you give her that she didn't already have?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"Tell me!"_

 _"What have you provided my daughter with!"_

 _Kristoff just continued to run, faster and faster, darting away from Adgar whenever he appeared. Finally, he came to another, larger space between the ice. Again Adgar stood before him on the other side. "Why do you deserve my daughter?"_

 _Kristoff remained still now. He felt the urge to run, but logic told his to stay. Something was wrong about all of this. It felt like he was moving and further away from the shore the more he continued on in this impossible scenario. He forced himself to remain still, for at least a few seconds to try and clear his mind. Then, in that moment, he got a good, solid look at his surroundings. He searched his thoughts, realizing he had no memory of how he got here. All the while, he felt the powerful urge to run. He realized however that this thought was not his own._

 _Instead, he stared at Adgar right in the eyes. "I don't deserve her" he said, earning a surprised stare from Adgar. "And you're right, she's too good to deserve me. But I can't separate myself from her. It's just impossible. Yes, I technically moved in with her, and I couldn't give her what she already had. But you know what, as impossible as it seems, we made it work. I haven't changed who I am, and she's still that wonderful princess she always was. I shouldn't be with her, but I am, because I love her!"_

 _Adgar remained motionless for ten seconds. Then, he nodded. "You're wrong... she does deserve you."_

Then, just like that, Kristoff awoke. He was back on the ship, where he was tied along with the majority of his companions. It was chaotic though: Wes was pinned down by Gunnolf while Olaf tried to tie up his flaying hands. Then, he saw Kira, unbound, walking with a trail of ice behind her to Lars, who remained at the wheel despite his predicament.

"Kira? Kira!" Kristoff called out, but his calls were muffled by the calls and screams of the others, along with the now enspelled Wesley. He tried to break free of his restraints, but knew from before that that he himself instructed Olaf on how to tie near perfect knots.

Meanwhile, Lars could only watch as Kira walked towards him up the stairs. If he could stop this boat, he would have, but he had no means of reaching the anchor before they drifted off to the many possible tunnels and channels. Up ahead there was a straight channel he could let them drift through, but he had to pass a fork first. Then, in her hand, Kira formed a dagger of ice.

Though he had few options, Lars raised one of his hands, holding his palm out to her in hopes of getting her to calm down. "Princess Kira, can you hear me?"

Kira nodded. "I know your voice. I have listened to you as you recited spell after spell in attempts to manipulate me, to make me your puppet."

Lars gulped. His voice now bore a slight, _slight_ panic. "Then you would know you're being manipulated again. You remember our mission here?"

Kira shook her head. "More lies!"

"I'm not lying. Listen to me..." Kira then swept her hand up, sending a wave of ice magic onto Lars' mouth, encasing it in a layer of ice.

"No more words!"

Kristoff watched, realizing Kira was beyond reason in her state. He then called to Olaf.

"Olaf! Olaf release me!"

"Sorry Kristoff" said Olaf as he struggled to get Wes tied up. "I can't free you."

"Olaf, I'm free! I'm not under the influence anymore! Look!"

Olaf looked up to where Kristoff was looking, seeing Kira approaching Lars. His mouth was sealed shut with ice, and yet he continued to sail on, looking back and worth between her and the path ahead.

"Ahhh!" screamed Olaf. "When did she get free?!"

"Olaf, cut me loose!" said Kristoff.

But Olaf didn't listen to him, still believing it to be a trick of some sort. "Gunnolf, hold Wes down. I've got to do something!" Gunnolf then sat down on the flailing Wes while Olaf ran up.

"No, Olaf!" said Kristoff as he continued to try and break free.

Meanwhile, Kira walked on up to Lars, who refused to leave his post. With his one free hand, he managed to break the ice from his lips. "I'm sorry!" he said. "There is no excuse for what I did!"

"Do you think I can believe anything you say?" she said.

Lars inched backwards, but continued to hold on to the wheel with one hand. Olaf inched closer and closer to the stairs, but was stopped when a spire of ice erupted up by Kira's doing, blocking his route.

Gunnolf, seeing the situation unfold, moved to leave Wes. "Don't let go of him!" Lars ordered. "If you leave, he goes over and drowns!" Gunnolf sopped, surprised. He looked back to his friend, knowing that that would be true. Reluctant, he sat back down on the struggling Wes.

Lars remained motionless for a few moments more, waiting till they passed on more fork in the road. No sooner did they pass it did he let go, letting the boat drift straight ahead. Now free from the wheel, Lars let go and bolted for the stairs. Kira immediately blocked his escape with a large form of ice blocking the stairs. He stopped just before, then darted back. He ran for the stern of the boat, but Kira froze his feet to the floor. He was now trapped.

"You're going to pay, for everything you did to me" Kira said with a growing rage in her voice as she raised her dagger.

"Kira, stop!" called Kristoff. "This isn't you!"

Kira ignored all else as she took the last few steps to Lars. Lars remained still as Kira raised her dagger. Then, she brought it down, right over his heart.

Lars reacted quickly, raising his elbow up in front of hers, blocking her arm with the dagger inches form his face. With less than a second to act before she used her magic again, Lars grabbed the blade from her and threw her away to the ground. Her back was now to him, with the ice dagger in his hand. On instinct, he flipped the blade in his hand in a throwing hold. Her senses slowed by the enchantments, she was now at his mercy, and he was defending his life.

Kristoff watched in horror as Lars aimed at her. He yelled to stop him, but his screams were muffled by the shouts of the others, and no doubt Lars still believed him to be enspelled.

Lars was ready to throw, but stopped himself. Instead of acting, he only looked at her, all the time in the world to act. Gunnolf lowered his stance, ready to leap, but resisted upon seeing Lars next act. To everyone's surprise, Lars threw the dagger aside into the sea as if it were something he disgusted. Kristoff's jaw nearly dropped.

Kira stood up again, looking back at him, this time an ice sword forming in her hand. She held it back and walked to him with every intention to slice his head off.

"If you do this, then I win!" said Lars at the last second.

By some miracle, Kira listened. She lowered her sword, but the fire never left her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"If you kill me, in my defenseless state, then I win. I would have succeeded in making the monster I wanted."

Kira shook her head. "I would be justified in taking your life. No, my family would be justified, my whole kingdom would be justified! All those you have wronged, all those you have killed will be avenged!"

"At the cost of your innocence!"

"YOU ALREADY STOLE MY INNOCENSE!" she spat back in a broken voice. "You took away my family, my whole world! I had to grow up fast to endure your tortures! Your experiments! Your spells and tricks!"

"And yet here you are. Making up for lost time with your family, helping your friends. You managed to readjust quite well after all I had done. Don't undo that by staining your hands with blood, especially my worthless blood."

Kira shook her head. "Your words are falling on deaf ears."

"I think I know that." Lars spoke slower now, taking his time to speak what he had to say. "You are under a spell, one specifically engineered to turn off logic and reason and plays on our primal emotions. You can kill me right now, and not be responsible in the slightest." Lars then looked ahead, then smiled. "I'm just buying time."

"For what?"

"For that." Kira now looked ahead, as did Kristoff, Olaf and Gunnolf. Up ahead, they saw a great statue, similar to the bearded man they saw earlier, but instead of pointing ahead with a finger, he pointed with his whole palm. There was also a smile on his face, signifying the end of the stage.

Soon after passing, the fog departed from them, revealing a clear path head. All at one, the struggling and yelling ceased. All those tied were awakened from their spells, looking around confused by the sudden shift in surroundings. Wes, still stuck below Gunnolf, blinked as he reentered the realm of reality. "Could you please get off of me?" he asked with a grunt in his voice.

Kira too blinked. Where before she was alone, she was now surrounded by friends, save for the man before her, the one she was pointing an ice sword at. She looked back and forth between Lars and her weapon, becoming more and more horrified as reason returned to her. Before she knew it, she dropped the blade, letting it dissolve as it fell. She gasped, putting as much distance between herself and Lars as possible. Soon, the ice at his feet melted, and he returned to the wheel to keep from drifting. She then ran down the stairs, keeping her face turned away from her enemy.

"So, we can untie everyone now, right?" asked Olaf.

Lars nodded, sighing in relief, his adrenaline still running on high. "Untie them. We're going to need all hands on deck for this last part.

* * *

 **Oof! That was a real menace of a chapter to write! So many characters with so much inner tormoils to cover! over 8,000 words this chapter. 8,000 words people! 8,000 words of pure heart, sweat and effort! Sorry again for the long wait, but between the complexities of this chapter and my own story taking off, I simply didn't have the time to rush it.**

 **So, obviously a hard chapter. I've already covered mind manipulation before, but this had to specifically result in the victims either wanting to run off the boat or cause something to doom the crew. Had a lot of ground to cover too. I had to cover Kira's attitude of Lars and vice versa as it will unfold more in future chapters, give some hint to Jethro's fears, find something interesting for Kristoff (Anna was just too obvious) and last but not least, leave a deceptive little something on Wesley Brawnstone's mysterious past, not to mention add some depth to my fan favorite comic relief.**

 **Also, I made three references this chapter, and one is really obscure. Did anyone catch them?**

 **Until the next chapter,**

 **-Batman**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

The Reunion

* * *

Elsa and Boran awoke the next morning to black skies. There was a large storm coming from the south, and it was moving fast. Boran stressed the importance that they leave as soon as possible, since dragons had trouble flying in the rain. So they left with nothing but a drink from the nearby spring. Elsa hadn't eaten much in the last few days outside a few berries and some herbs, and the lack of food was now wearing down on her. Thankfully Boran was doing all the work, reducing the amount of energy she burned. She never did eat much anyway. Anna always teased her on eating like a bird, much to Elsa's irritatance.

Boran used the forest's edge as a reference to help him find his way. The forest it seemed went on forever. Despite how far north they were, Elsa could still see oaks and willows down below, trees that should have stopped growing at a latitude hundreds of miles south. Elsa kept this in the back of her head as she watched Frida flying close by, keeping pace with the dragon.

"That storm's catching up" said Elsa over the wind, noticing the fast approaching clouds from behind them.

"Yes… Wait, are you opening your eyes today?" he asked, looking back with an arched eyebrow.

She shrugged. "I guess I'm getting used to this."

"Most people do, eventually. Not so bad right?"

"I guess not... still, could we slow down just a bit?"

"Not if we're going to get stay ahead of this storm... and frankly, I'm anxious to see if Shamrock still standing." He said this with a worry in his voice.

"Do you think it is?"

Boran shook his head. "I don't know what all has changed after all these years. All my friends, family..." He then trailed off.

Elsa remained quiet for a moment. "You just have to have faith. It'll be there I'm sure."

Boran grunted. "You've never even been there. How are you so sure?"

"Well you were sure last night."

"I was hopeful last night."

"Well then you're just going to have to hang onto that hope."

Boran huffed. "You're really the optimistic one, aren't you?"

"I wasn't always like that. Anna, my sister is the real optimist."

Boran nodded, remaining silent.

"Do you have family?" she asked.

"Some. My mother died not long after I hatched. My father died dome time later, and..."

He trailed off. Something has caught Boran's attention. Out to his right, he heard a faint flapping noise. He jerked his head over to see, but couldn't see through the thick clouds the grew thicker and thicker by the minute. He peered through the clouds and thought he saw a large shape ease on by him.

"Is something wrong?" Elsa asked.

Boran looked on, but saw and heard nothing more. Still on edge, he looked back ahead. "No, I guess it was..."

He was cut off when he was rammed in the side by another dragon, silently slipping in from out of the clouds. It struck fast and hard with its hind legs, departing as soon as it came. He was hit with such a force that he was sent spinning through the air, helpless to stop Elsa being thrown off. Using his wings he as able to steady himself, but was alarmed when he realized he had lost his passenger. "Oh no!" he said aloud, cursing himself. Forgetting about his attacker he went into free fall, looking for Elsa below. He was alerted to her position by Frida's frantic calling down below. Seeing her falling form, he flapped his wings to gain velocity. They weren't high up, so he had only little time to catch her. He dove down, folding his wings back to get momentum. "Hang on!" he called out to her as he got closer. He flapped harder and harder as they grew closer to the ground. It was going to be close.

Just as the trees below became frightfully vivid, he reached out with his forearms and grabbed her. He then stretched his wings to try and at least break their inevitable crash with the trees. Creatures of the air, dragons could take a fall, but people weren't so immune. Just before he impacted with the canopy, Boran pulled Elsa and Frida in close and wrapped his head down and over to shield her from the trunks and branches. They crashed with tremendous force, knocking down a row of trees in the dragon's wake. After pounding through a few pines, he hit the ground. The force of the impact forced him to flip over, resulting in him losing his grip on Elsa. Thanks to Boran's efforts though, Elsa hit the ground with little force, tumbling along the forest floor until she came to a stop while Boran rolled on ahead, crashing through more forest until he came to a stop a good distance away. The Snow Queen and her dragon were now separated.

High above, the attacking dragon flew down from the cloud layer, now fully visible. She was blue in color, similar in shape to Boran but minus the two horns. Instead, she had a dorsal ridge of spines and fin running from the last third of her head to halfway down her neck. He head was longer and more slender than Boran's as well, with a longer, whip like tail. On her back rode an older, blurry bearded man in his early forties, who stood on her back with immaculate balance, as if he were on a land.

"That's the bloke!" he yelled out loud in a thick accent of English descent. He then ran up along the dragon's spine, closer to her head. "You go find the girl. That dragon is _mine_!" The female dragon nodded in agreement, then flew low and let the man hop off. Though a jump from that height would have killed most men, this one had some help.

Below him, the trees began to move, their branches outstretching towards him as if hands reaching up to catch him. He stepped on the branches with limber feet. Then the trees bent over unnaturally to bring him to the ground with the sounds of cracking branches and groaning trunks. Close enough to the ground, he hopped off and landed with great agility while the trees bent back up into their original shape. The man now looked ahead, seeing the trail of knocked over trees made by Boran. "There you are" he said.

Meanwhile, Boran lied where he landed on his back, still phased by the impact. Once he regained his senses, he shot his head up. He was in a clearing, where some stone ruins stood, remnants of an old settlement. Only parts of walls and a few foundations remained, all overgrown with vines and weeds. The clouds overhead slowly grew darker as the storm moved up on them.

He then remembered that he had dropped Elsa somewhere along the way. He rolled over and got back up. "Elsa!" he called out.

He didn't hear a reply.

"Elsa! Where are you?!"

"Oi!" called out the bearded man. Boran shot his head around, seeing him standing at the edge of the clearing up a hill. He had on a deerskin jacket with tassels all along his arms. He wore a vest underneath, and on his head sat a beat up leather hat. Given the geographic location and time period, he was an odd sight indeed.

Boran snarled at the man, rightfully assuming him to be on the other dragon's side. "Who are you? What have you done with Elsa?!'

"You're little Sheila's just fine" said the man. "You however, I can't say the same."

Boran didn't respond. Instead, he jumped out and back towards the woods in search of Elsa, ignoring the man. He stopped when, from out of the ground, large tree roots shot up, forming a meshwork of wood that prevented him from moving forward. Surprised, he looked back at the man, who just shook his head. "You didn't think you were going to get away that easily, did you?"

Boran growled. "What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me who you work for. Then maybe, maybe I'll make your passing quick."

Boran stared with wide eyes of realization as he understood the man's intentions. Not waiting for him to act, he lunged out at him in a quick sprint. The man swung his hands up, green magic swirling around his hands. Roots from under the ground burst out through the dirt, moving towards the dragon with incredible speed. Boran stopped and, reacting on instinct, Boran breathed out, shooting a wave of ice at the roots, freezing them. But he was still new to this magic, and didn't hit it hard enough to freeze it to its center. The roots continued on and struck him in his chest, knocking him down onto his back.

The man stood there, amazed by the sight he just beheld; a dragon breathing _ice_. He shook his head. "Oh you've been meddling with all kinds of voodoo haven't you?"

Boran just growled. "There is more to all of this than you think" he said, getting up.

"Ya don't say?" the man said sarcastically. Without another word, he moved his hand from left to right in a rapid motion, ordering the branches of a nearby oak to come down on Boran like a claw, wrapping him in tis branches. Boran immediately fought, biting and clawing his way out of the tree. Deciding to give his new talent another try, he shot ice at the branches around him, this time with more intensity. It felt odd in his throat, like breathing cold air with a bad cold. He couldn't keep it for long, but it was enough to freeze the branches solid. Now brittle, they shattered, letting him escape. Boran crawled out.

"You know" said the man. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have no idea what to do with that ice."

Boran shook his head. He was mad, mad at how clumsy this ice felt in his throat, mad at the fact that he didn't have fire anymore, and mad at the one who stole a few decades of his life, turning him into a murderer. But right now, he was more mad at this odd man with the funny accent before him. "Just up and fight!"

* * *

Elsa was out for only a minute at the most. She awoke to her ever loyal falcon by her side in the middle of a pine strand. "Boran?" she asked in a dreary voice. "Where is he?"

Frida chirped.

Elsa got her hands under her and pushed herself up to her feet. She was covered in pine sap and pine needles, and more scrapes and scratches to add to her ever growing collection. She then she heard a faint flapping noise from above. She sighed in relief, believing it to be her guide coming for her. But Frida she noticed began flapping in agitation. Elsa looked up again, seeing a bluish dragon descend from the sky. Realizing it to be the one that attacked them, Elsa and Frida ran into the thicker bushes for cover. Finding a particularly dense bush, Elsa crawled underneath, cringing as she dragged herself through the thick and dirty leaf litter. Still, she was safe for now.

The dragon landed with a light thud, elegantly avoiding the dense canopy and trunks below. Elsa watched from her cover as the she-dragon darted her head back and forth, scanning the forest floor.

"I know you're here" said the dragon in a strong yet unmistakingly feminine voice. "Surrender and you will be treated with justice."

Elsa didn't budge. She was sick to death of the nonstop barrage of enemies, and she was hoping to get out of this one without a fight. So she remained still, even as the dragon began stalking the woods in search of her.

The she-dragon swung her neck all around, actively looking in between the trees for Elsa. "Listen, I've had a rough few weeks" she said. "It will be easier for both of us if you just come on out."

Elsa didn't listen. She did however begin to worry as the dragon began taking steps towards her. Panicking, Elsa slowly crawled backwards through the thicket as quietly as she could to find a better place to hide. She then turned to better move through the underbrush. She bit her tongue as sticks and rocks poked and prodded her. She took another step forward, unknowingly placing her palm on a thorn. She hissed, accidently revealing her position.

The dragon cocked her head in Elsa's direction. After only a second of looking, the dragon picked out her outline through the vegetation. Realizing that she had been found out, Elsa didn't wait to see if the dragon would hold true to her word and show her mercy. She spun around onto her back and extended her hands to release a large blast of her ice magic from her palms, aimed directly at the dragon. The dragon saw it coming and crouched down to dodge it. The magic flew overhead and froze a tree instead.

Without a second thought, the dragon then leaned up and breathed a stream of fire at Elsa. Elsa stood up, held her ground, and blocked the fire, forming a large shield of magic and ice to deflect the flames around her. Feeling the heat intensify, Elsa in turn increased the output of her powers, allowing it to take on a life of its own as her shield grew bigger and larger.

The dragon continued to shoot her fire, watching as the shield of ice increase in size. But then, as she watched it grow bigger, she saw a familiar pattern form on the ice. Though her fire obscured part of it, she saw what appeared to be a snowflake radiating from its center; a snowflake of a very unique design. She suddenly recognized the pattern as a calling card, a design used by only one ice wielder in particular.

Upon realizing who she was attacking, the dragon ceased firing. She now stared at the large snowflake clearly, just before Elsa made in disintegrate into snow. Her eyes widened in shock and awe. Elsa prepared to retaliate, but stopped when the dragon suddenly sunk her head low, facing the ground as her entire body prostrated down before the Queen.

"Forgive me your majesty! I didn't know it was you!" the dragon cried out.

Elsa held back her attack, dumbfounded by this new development. "Wait, what?" she asked.

"Y- you're Queen Elsa of Arendelle, aren't you?"

Elsa stared at the now quaking dragon. "How did you recognize me?" She asked. She wasn't exactly in her best attire, and her braid was half undone and no doubt covered in tangles. Not to mention the numerous cuts and scrapes and dirt that riddled her body didn't exactly scream royalty.

"I saw your snowflake, the crest of the Snow Queen."

Elsa thought for a second. At the word "Snow Queen" she wanted to curse. But now wasn't the time to fixate on that. She knew her snowflakes had a very unique design, one which naturally formed on many of her more radial creations. She knew this all to well, but never made this common knowledge beyond her family and closest friends. How did a small fact like that wind up all the way up here?

Instead of further contemplating this, Elsa decided to just brush that aside for now. "Very well. Um... you can rise" she asked as if a question. Hesitantly, the dragon raised her head, then slowly the rest of her body. "So, do you have a name?"

"Of course!" said the dragon eagerly. "I, I am Shárra."

"Alright, Shárra. Maybe you can help me find Boran, my guide.

The dragon froze. Where before she was starring with wide eyes in awe, she now looked at Elsa with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. "Who?"

"Boran. My guide. He's the dragon that came down with me."

Shárra looked at her hard, her mouth opening slightly, perplexed. "Boran?" she asked inquisitively. "How, how would you describe him? Does he have two backwards curving horns just behind his eyes, green in color?"

Elsa narrowed her eyes in suprise. "Um, yes, exactly. Do you know him?"

Shárra just looked at her, but it was clear her focus wasn't on her. Her mind was far off, trying to put two and two together. Then, interrupting Shárra from her thoughts, they heard a pained roar in the distance. Elsa almost immediately recognized that roar.

"Boran!" Elsa cried out.

Shárra likewise spun her head around to the direction of the roar. "It can't be" she said in a distant voice. Without another word, she took off, charging through the woods in the same direction at full speed.

"Wait, wait!" Elsa said, running after her. "Hold on!"

* * *

Boran was losing out to the odd man who could control plants. He didn't understand how ice worked. It wasn't as wild as fire. It was tame, more organized, requiring a sharper mind to manipulate. At every turn he struggled to get the ice where he wanted. Each time the ice would either disperse too early, only managing to lightly frost his target, or condensed into one spot, freezing only a small portion of his intended target. Every now and then he would get lucky, but it wasn't enough.

He was struck in the side by a large tree, sending him rolling down a steep hill, hitting the side of an old stone wall. He grunted in pain. He tried his best to get up, but was immediately restrained as more roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around his limbs.

The man then slid down the hill, the grass moving beneath him to move him down on a platform of the green stuff. "Give up yet?" the man asked, having not wasted a breathe.

Boran was tired and bruised and battered, but he wasn't about to surrender yet. Though he was unable to hide his anguish, Boran looked at him and said "Never."

The man smiled. "Was hoping you said that." Without moving a finger, he willed more roots to come out of the ground, wrapping themselves around the dragon. Boran fought back like a trapped wolf, biting and clawing his way through the ever growing entanglement of vines and roots, but couldn't keep up. Soon, his arms, legs and wings were completely wrapped in the thick woody vegetation. They then worked their way up around his snout, then his neck.

"This is for Golth." said the man as he tightened the roots around Boran's neck, constricting his windpipes. Boran struggled to break free, but couldn't gain the momentum necessary to break free. Then the roots pulled him down, pressing him into the ground. Helpless, he began to lose hope of ever seeing Elsa again.

Then, to both of their surprises, Shárra came bursting out of the trees, coming into the clearing. She stopped, looking at the scene before her.

"Ah, there you are" said the man to Shárra. "Just wrapping things up here."

Shárra paid her partner no mind. She looked at the face of the dragon who was being strangled to death. Almost immediately she recognized him. "Boran!" she cried out. She then charged at him. She shot fire out of her mouth, incinerating the roots and vines.

"Oi! What on earth are you doing?!" shouted the man, lowering his hands, making fists as he held his hands to his side.

Shárra continued to use her fire on the vines, burning them to a crisp. When they were weak enough, she ripped them off of him with her talons.

Now free, Boran gasped, breathing hard as he refreshed the air in his lungs. He coughed, and then backed away, ready to flee if this dragon decided to just finish him off herself

But instead of attacking him like he expected, she just backed off, giving him space to breathe. Boran was hunching over still catching his breath, facing the ground. The she-dragon could not remove her eyes from his face, not believing what she was seeing.

"Hey, what is wrong with you?!" said the man, walking up to Shárra. "I had him!"

"Shut up" she told him, not turning her head.

"Oh don't tell me you want to take him prisoner. We had orders, find the attackers and..."

"I said shut up Jasp!" Shárra then snapped at him. The man named Jasp then shut up, still cross with this recent turn of events. Shárra then returned her attention to Boran, who was still hunched over recovering. "Boran?" she asked in a softer voice.

At that, Boran jerked his head up, meeting her gaze. She let out a small gasp upon seeing his scar, but was far too concerned with seeing him alive to bother with it. Boran almost immediately recognized her. For a short while, they stared at each other, the female with this utterly shocked expression. "It's, it's you" she said, still unbelieving.

Boran slowly raised his head, meeting her level. "Shárra?" he said.

Shárra then began shaking her head. "What, what happened to you" she said softly. But then more harshly, she repeated "What happened to you Boran?! We... we all thought you were dead!"

Boran remained motionless. Now Jasp walked forward in between them. "Whoa, whoa hold on. This can't be _him_... can it?"

Shárra nodded, not taking her eyes off of Boran. It was then that it started to rain, the storm having finally caught up with them. It started out softly at first, slowly building up to a light shower. All the while the two dragons stared at one another, water droplets clinging to their faces before falling off. Boran then slowly lowered his eyes. Where once there was both shock and relief, there was now shame. Shárra on the other hand couldn't remove her eyes off of him, afraid he will vanish and this would all have been a dream.

A short time later, Elsa finally found her way through the woods followed by Frida, following Shárra's trail of trampled trees after she left unexcitingly. She was now sopping wet, and expecting for Boran to being some sort of trouble, or worse. Instead, she found a surprisingly tranquil scene. The two dragons remained in the middle of the field, with a man standing aside with cross arms, soaked to the bone yet seemingly unbothered by the rain.

"Well?" asked Jasp. "Is anybody going to say anything?"

Finally, Boran spoke, keeping his eyes on the ground. "Shárra. I, I don't know what to say."

Shárra shook her head slowly, keeping her voice low and understanding. "What happened Boran?" she asked in a broken voice. "How could you leave us?"

Boran shut his eyes. "I was in, a dark place."

"A dark place?!" said Jasp. "Tell that to Golth! I was there, I saw this dragon tear a home apart!" He now looked at Shárra. "Are you going to tell me that _he_ is your long lost brother?!"

Elsa couldn't believe her ears. Boran had a sister? He did mention a family, but never got around expanding on that.

Shárra then asked Boran with a pained expression "Is it true? Did you kill those trolls?"

Boran didn't say anything for a second. He looked to the side, shut his eyes to avoid looking her in the face, and said "it's true."

"There, see!" said Jasp. "He's with the enemy!"

"No he didn't!" said Elsa aloud. She walked out into the rain, drawing all eyes on her.

"Elsa, please..."said Boran, but Elsa would have nothing off it.

"Boran was a victim, along with many others. Up until a few days ago he was under the power of the Dark Mirror."

"The Dark Mirror, puh!" Jasp scoffed. "That's a good one."

"It's true!" said Elsa. "I pulled it from him myself. Someone infected him with it and has been using it to control him."

"Look here Sheila, you really need to get your story straight. First off all, Dark Mirror shards are rare, like finding a thylacine rare. Secondly, how on earth did you get it out? That's impossible."

"Not for her" said Shárra. "She is Elsa of Arendelle, the Snow Queen."

At that, Jasp laughed. "What, did she tell you that herself?"

"She showed me the crest of the Snow Queen, using her gifts nonetheless. It can't be anyone else."

At that Jasp's jaw dropped. He spun around as faced Elsa. "She did?" he asked.

Elsa nodded. Knowing what the next question would be, she raised her hand and formed a circular plane of ice in her palm. Letting her magic work in its own way, her snowflake appeared, just as perfect and flawless as the countless others she had made. Even in the rain, the sides refused to melt, as if made of glass. She then took a few steps forward and handed it to Jasp for him to look over.

After a minute of trying to convince his senses of what he was seeing, he returned to her the plane, then stomped off through the waterlogged grass towards the woods.

"Where are you going?" asked Shárra

"To make a shelter for Sheila here and myself of course. We can't make it to Shamrock today in this weather. Minus well get comfortable."

Shárra smiled. That was the closest thing Jasp would ever come to conceding.

"Um, it's Elsa" Elsa told him as he walked off.

"I know what I said Sheila."He then looked at the woods where Shárra appeared through, particularly at the flattened trees and upturned saplings. "Oh for the love of… Does anyone have any respect for trees anymore?!

* * *

Jasp put together a crude shelter using an oilskin canvas he had in his pack and a few young trees he manipulated to form a sheltered space, giving him, Elsa, and Frida cover from the elements. Despite the rain, Shárra was able to light a fire for them under the cover, allowing them to keep dry as the rain raged on. Though she wasn't cold, the comforting feel of a warm fire did wonders for Elsa's mentality, as did the dried jerky and nuts Jasp gave her. She felt like she could truly rest, despite her predicament.

The two dragons sat on either side outside (dragons aren't bothered by the rain) as Elsa told their new comrades all that had transpired from the attack on Arendelle to this point. Both Jasp and Shárra expressed particular interest in hearing that _Captain_ Jethro made it to Arendelle (She kept her surprise of his station to herself). All the while, Shárra found it difficult to keep her eyes off of her brother, horrified to learn that he had been a literal prisoner in his own body all these years.

It wasn't until Elsa explained Boran's scar and his ice breath did Shárra look down at Elsa. She narrowed her eyes on the young queen beneath the shelter.

"You, you did this to him?" she asked dismally as rain rolled off her face.

Elsa hesitated. It did bother her how she had hurt Boran in that way. Now, seeing his sister face to face, she felt more dismayed that this would affect her as well. "I, yes, yes it was me. But it was an accident."

"She had no choice" said Boran in her defense. "You can't blame her for that."

Shárra then shot Boran a disbelieving glare. She looked back and forth between Elsa and Boran before getting up. She then turned around and walked into the woods with a determined pace.

Inside the shelter, Elsa sulked, pulling her knees up to herself.

Boran shook his head. "Stay here. I'll go talk to her." Then he too went off, following his sister into the rain.

Alone now, Elsa felt awkward being alone with the rougher looking Jasp. "So" she said. "You control plants?"

"That's right. Anything in the Kingdom Plantae is under my command. Really came in handy on the family farm back in Australia."

At that, Elsa shot a stare at this stranger. Not more than a week ago she expressed her interest to visit this island nation, and now here is a bonified Australian before her. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Ma'am, I never kid when it comes to the Motherland."

Elsa nodded. "So, how did you end up here?"

"Well that's a long story. I was born in the summer of 1802, one of the hottest summers remembered by my great grand pappy..."

Elsa sighed, realizing she was going to get a life story.

Meanwhile, Boran found Shárra not far from camp, staring off out over the clearing where they met.

"It wasn't her fault" Boran said, guessing her reason for walking off.

She shook her head. "She had no right to do that to you."

"It wasn't like she had a choice. She wasn't even aware..."

"Haven't you gone through enough?!" she said back, turning to face him. "A slave to this enemy, having yourself erased from your own body, only to come out of it with your fire quenched, possibly for good?" She then looked back ahead. "I lost you brother. For twenty years, I just assumed you either ran off or got in a horrible accident. I never imagined..." she shut her eyes, losing her composure. In a softer, more broken voice, she continued "I was left without any answers Boran. No sign, no word, nothing. I imagined all sorts of horrible things that could have happened. I even thought you got lost and couldn't find your way back." She paused, but Boran remained quiet, sensing she had more to say. "I was angry for a while. At you, at whatever mess you got in that took you from me." She shook her head. "Now, now I'm angry at Elsa for taking your fire, even though she saved you from that nightmare... but mostly I'm angry at myself for not finding you sooner, for letting you go through that alone." Then she stopped. She had no more to say.

Both dragons just stared out into the field. For a long while, they said nothing. Finally, Boran said. "You didn't do this to me. And it wasn't Elsa either. If anything we're all victims. Elsa was ripped from her home, and you went through all those years not knowing what happened to me. And for that I am sorry. But now is not the time for feeling sorry for ourselves. I'm back now, and I promise I'll ever leave you alone again little sister."

She looked back at Boran, her eyes misty. She said "I missed you so much", then moved her head and wrapped it around Boran's neck in a hug, which Boran returned. Dragon's couldn't cry, but that didn't mean they didn't break down every now and then. So she did, remaining silent in a sob-less embrace, reunited with her brother at last.

A while later, the dragons returned to the camp, where Jasp was finishing is tale of how he ended up in the Lands North.

"... And so, my third wife left me for that cashed up Brisbanite."

"Wow" Elsa said sarcastically. She honestly wished he finished this story ten minutes ago. "27 and already on your third wife."

"I know right? A handsome bloke like me left time and time again. But hey, that means I'm now free for wife number four." He then wiggled his eyebrows at Elsa.

Suppressing a look of disgust, Elsa just smiled awkwardly. "Riiiight..." Desperate to change the subject, she said "So, how did you end up here?"

"Ah right. Well, a long story short, I decided to look for the origins of my magical powers. This Aboriginal shaman showed me this gnarly vision that I should just head North. Eventually I ended up here, and after wandering these woods for a few months I ended up in a tussle with Shárra, who mistook me for a crook of some sort. Anyway, after I spared her life, she showed me around, introduced me to a troll named Gnock, found myself, and we became best of friends."

Elsa looked at him with an uneasy look. "Wow... what a story."

"As I recall" said the returning Shárra, shooting him a glare. "It was I that spared you after you threatened to make a throw rug out of my hide."

"Well there the two of you are" said Jasp. "I thought you got lost or something."

"Me, lost?"scoffed Shárra. "Never."

"Right. So, figure things out did we?"

Sharra nodded lightly. She cleared her throat, then faced Elsa. "I'm, sorry Your Majesty, for acting the way I did."

Elsa smiled. "If someone did something like that to my sister, I would probably do the same thing."

"So, I am forgiven?"

"There's nothing to forgive" said Elsa. "And please, call me Elsa."

Shárra thought for a moment. "You're not what I expected."

"Expected?" asked Elsa.

"Oh, I always expected the Snow Queen to be, well, more regal I guess."

Elsa groaned internally. "Shárra, Jasp, I have to be honest. Whether or not I'm this Snow Queen or not is still, well unlikely."

Jasp leaned forward. "What? Wait I'm confused now."

"But, we saw the crest. It was the sign. Your snowflake. No one else can make that sign" said Shárra.

"Elsa seems to think that, despite all the evidence in the world, she is just some ordinary Queen. No offense" Boran said to Elsa with a grin.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "I just think you're looking for someone else is all."

"Oh for the love of…" said Jasp. "You make snow, you're a queen. Put them together, what do you get?"

"Now now, let's give her the benefit of the doubt" said Boran. "After all, she's only known about the legend for less then a week, and she's been through so much. It is a lot to take in."

"But, she _has_ to be her" said Shárra. "She conjured up a winter in the summer, and thawed a frozen heart."

Then Jasp said "not to mention she did the impossible and removed Dark Mirror magic, quenched a dragon's fire, and replaced it with ice magic, and managed not to kill the bloke in the process." He then earned a series of nasty glares from Elsa, Shárra, Boran, and even Frida. "What?" he asked.

"I think perhaps we should just get some rest" said Boran, interrupting the silence. "This rain should be gone by morning, and I for one am anxious to get to Shamrock early."

"I think that is wise" said Shárra. "There is an old friend there who can maybe shed light on our Arendellian friend, and whether or not she is who we all think she is."

Elsa remained silent at the remark.

"Great!" said Jasp. "I'll see you all in the morning. 'Gnight!" then he leaned back and in less than a minute was out like a light. Elsa then pulled up a blanket that Jasp leant her while the two dragons found a spot close by to lay down. The ground was sopping and the rain continued on, but don't feel sorry for them; dragon scales were waterproof, and were perfectly comfortable in any weather. After that, they all said goodnight to each other, the two siblings for the first time in years, then laid their heads down and rested.

"Quee… Elsa" whispered Shárra.

Elsa leaned up. "Yes?"

"Thank you, for saving my brother."

Elsa smiled. "You're welcome."

At that, Boran smiled.

* * *

 **Ladies and Gentlemen,** **Shárra and Jasp!**

 **Shárra had been in my head for half a year now, though Jasp was more recent. I wanted another "gifted" character, so a plant powered person came to mind. But I didn't want a typical "green" person, so I thought why not an Outback living Australian? Thought it would be a fun way to give Elsa a glimpse of Australia in the most roughian way possible. Also, given how in my own continuity I'm making it possible for just anyone to receive a power, I figured it would be possible for anyone in the entire world to get it, so I decided to make the next one foreign.**

 **Just letting you know this will be the last new chapter for a while, as I will be returning to my own original story.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think! I haven't heard from most of you in a while (Aside from JJAndrews, who I thank for your feedback!) and would like to hear what you think, especially about my new OCs.**

 **-Batman**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 22:

Arrival

* * *

They sailed on into the night. Lars estimated that they would reach the third and final test by daybreak. All through the night, the men took turns keeping watch ahead with their lanterns, alerting Lars to rocks and other hazards. It was slow going. No one found any sleep, not after there harrowing experiences just hours before, which was still fresh on their minds. Since they were up anyway, Lars instructed them to strap down any loose articles. Though he failed to tell them exactly what to expect at daybreak (he seemed to enjoy the surprises), they figured it involved rocking the boat somehow. Mental exhaustion plagued the crew, some worse off than others. They were lethargic, their minds not where they were supposed to be. Kira seems to have taken the worse of it. She was below decks for a while, hiding in an empty room, sitting in a ball. After some time, Anna eventually came down to check on her

She knocked on the door. "Hey there" Anna said as she opened the unlocked door. "How are you holding up?" Kira looked up, but only shook her head in response. Anna then went and sat down next to her. "Oh come on" she said with a positive tone "talking helps."

Kira sighed. "Oh like you're not all shook up too."

"Oh, no, I'm pretty shook up" Anna replied. "Everyone is. Even Wesley's quiet, and that's saying something."

Kira rolled her eyes. "I should have knocked his lights out."

Anna giggled at that. "Oh you and me both. But in the end he was only helping. You know that right?"

"All I know is he strapped that, that... _thing_ on my arm. I hate that thing!" Of course she was talking about the strap, the one with Blue Crystals embedded into it. She was too familiar with the light 'snap' of the strap and the sting of the metal on her wrist, then the dulling sensation the crystals had on her. "But yeah, I guess he was only trying to help. It doesn't help that he is related to _him_ though."

"He betrayed him to help us."

"Yeah I know" Kira said dismissingly.

Kira turned her head away. Anna thought to herself, then said. "Kristoff told me what happened."

Kira then looked to her thoughtfully. "How did he know?"

"He woke up just as it was happening."

Kira nodded. "He saw all _that_?" Anna nodded. Kira then turned her eyes to the floor. "I wanted him dead."

"Hey, that's understandable."

"No, you don't understand!" Kira snapped. "Mind controlled or not, I _wanted_ him dead! And I wish I went through with it!"

Anna was quiet for a moment, shocked, but at the same time not suprised. "I suppose I can't blame you for wanting that. If that happened to me, I would probably say the same thing."

Kira leaned back, rolling her head back to face he ceiling. "What was I thinking? Coming along I mean. I should have known this would happen." She then lifted her hand and opened her palm, looking upon it with a sullen glare. "I wish I never had these powers. Then he would have never kidnapped me, and I would know what it feels like to be a kid."

"Yeah" said Anna. "I know what you mean. If I can offer some advise, I would just say don't ponder about what you lost. You just got to let it go. You know, move on from it. Sure, you can never escape it, but you can live with it; be happy, find love, not have to worry about those past things coming back for you."

"Well, that's the thing" said Kira. "My past _can_ come back for me, and he's just a few feet over my head."

"Only if you let him. You're stronger than he is, Kira. You were just a kid back then. You're older now, wiser, more experienced. You just need to remember how strong you really are."

Kira kept quiet for some time after that. Her eyes were fixed ahead, comprehending every word, wishing for them to be true.

* * *

Meanwhile, up above, Jase had just dismissed Kristoff from watch duty. Kristoff wandered back to the stern of the ship, passing Lars. The events that transpired just hours ago was still fresh on his mind. He faired better than most after that experience. In fact, the vision he had of King Adgar's ghost chasing him on the ice had slipped almost entirely from his mind. Instead, it was what he saw after he woke up that stirred him the most. Making sure he was out of earshot of anyone, he walked up to Lars.

"Why did you do it?" Kristoff asked.

"Oh, because I felt like it" Lars said.

"Huh?"

"Son, if you're going to start a conversation, you need to state a subject first."

Kristoff breathed. "I saw what happened, between you and Kira, while we were going through that mist back there."

Lars turned and looked at him surprised. "How did you..." was all he could ask at first. He thought for a moment longer, then grinned. "It's not often a man 'wakes up' before we make it to the end. You have a strong mind about you."

"More like a thick skull. Kira was going to kill you, and to be frank, part of me was OK with that."

"I'm touched."

"But she fell, and you had the knife. You had your chance to defend yourself. A man like you wouldn't hesitate... but you did." Lars' calm expression then faded into a grim look on his face. He just stared on ahead, preferring it if Kristoff would just shut up. "In fact, you through the knife away entirely. You basically signed your death certificate."

Lars grunted. "Where are you going with this?"

Kristoff shrugged. "Why did you do it? Why did you let her live, at the expense of your own life?"

Lars turned around and, after a brief second to contemplate his reaction, said "What, you think you found some good in the cold, heartless pirate captain?"

"If there is any good, it's not enough to ever trust you with anything."

"That's sound advice son. You _shouldn't_ trust me, not even with pocket change. I let her live because of logic. Look around, do I have any friends on this ship? Would anyone believe me if I said it was self defense? Me, your enemy? You would have thrown me overboard to drown at see as soon as you didn't need me anymore. Nah. I knew I had a chance to keep her talking long enough to get to the last border. If anything, all I did was choose between a quick death by decapitation or a slow death at see. Nothing more nothing less."

Kristoff nodded. "That's all I wanted to know." Kristoff then began to walk off back to the main decks, but stopped. Without turning to face him, Kristoff just said "In my line of work, I had to learn to read people. It's that or I get cheated out of a good deal. It's saved my life a few times. So when I tell you I know the difference between a look of fear and a look of say, _remorse_ , I mean it." Then Kristoff walked on down the stairs, leaving Lars on his own.

Lars shot a furious glare into the back of Kristoff's skull, but said nothing more. Stubborn, he looked back to the sea ahead.

Within the next half hour the sun began to rise. Lars was relieved to see something that would take his mind off.  
" They noticed that, up ahead, the fog was lifting, providing them for the first time a clear view of the stone walls ahead.

"All hands to deck!" he said aloud, snapping everyone from their weary thoughts. "The last challenge is before us!"

Everyone jumped up, already awake. Anna and Kira came running up from below deck to see what was before them now. The stone walls that had lingered on either side for the whole trip spread out now, opening up to what appeared to be a large bay, if not whole sea. As the mist cleared, a large pillar appeared right smack in the middle of their way. It was carved in the way of a serpent, its serpentine body wrapping around the stone. It's mouth was open, as if it were roaring.

"So, what's the test?" asked Jase. "More mind games?"

Lars smiled slyly, then said. "Oh we're passed psychology. Here we're entering a physical challenge."

"Awesome!" said Wes. "Anything but trivia!"

"More specifically?" asked Jase.

"Specifically, you better get your sea legs together if you haven't got them already. In this short stretch of water, we will face every challenge, every extreme possible on the open sea. Cyclones, whirlpools, surges, all those scenarios you've only read about up until now."

At that, Kristoff gulped. He had spent most of his life landlocked. What little experience he had on boats took place on gentle inland seas and tame canals. He expected that one of these days he would be forced to deal with an ocean storm, but to meet all the perils at once made him queasy. "And, you know how to get through them all, right?"

"Oh sure. With a good crew, it's possible" replied Lars.

Kristoff looked around. Lars and Wes he knew were experienced with boats. Jethro showed great familiarity with the parts of the boat, and even be able to read navigational maps (to a point). Jase, like him, originated from a landlocked existence, so no help there. Marge, if she was anything like the trolls he knew wouldn't know the sail from a dress. Olaf and Gunnolf forget it. Kira, probably had little to no experience. And then there was Anna, whom he knew for a fact feared ocean storms, her own parents having perished in one.

So in all, only three were qualified to navigate this boat if things got bad. Great.

"Hey you, elf" said Lars to Jethro

"It's 'Jethro'."

"Go make sure everyone has a lifeline on. Wes, tie down the sails. We won't be needing them."

"On it boss!" said Wes as he ran up the mast, climbing up the rope to get to the main lines which held the sail in place.

"Okay... princess."

"Yeah?" asked Anna

Lars shook his head. "The other princess."

Kira didn't even turn around to answer.

"Hey!" said Lars with more insistence.

"I can take care of it" said Anna.

"I wasn't talking to you."

At that Kira shot around, fixing a stern glare onto Lars. "What on earth do you need my powers for, besides the obvious?" she stated, finishing off with a bitterly sarcastic tone.

"Just the opposite. You need to refrain from using your powers, no matter how terrifying the obstacle."

"What?"

"This course is designed to test our skill, and not with the aid of magic; that would be cheating. Do so and our journey will grow exponentially treacherous. Believe me; I've tried before on one of our resupply runs here. Lost three men that day."

Kira's eyes shot wide open in surprise. So she had been here before? There was much she couldn't account for while she was his captive, so it shouldn't be a surprise. Still, it bothered her to know that this was not her first time here. There wasn't even a feeling of deja vu with this place. It frightened her to think about where else she had been, what else she did while he had her on his leash.

Then, a moment later, the wind picked up. Where before there was just the silence of the mist, now was a substantial breeze. It whipped Kira's short blond hair back and forced her to squint her eyes.

"It's starting!" said Lars. "You there, mountain man!"

"Do you even _know_ our names?" asked Kristoff.

"Names are for the friendly. I'm not your friend. Go check the shroud lines! Elf! Is everyone secured?"

"Just about!" said Jethro as he ran from person to person, tying a length of rope around their waists with the speed only an elf could achieve. When each and every person has a line attached to them, he then went about tying them all to the mast. Just in time too, because a series of waves suddenly appeared, now rocking the boat with a great momentum. Everyone had to grip onto something to keep from losing their balance.

"Everyone hang on and be ready to act on command. This is not for the faint of heart. You lose your footing even once here and you'll most certainly die!"

"How reassuring" said Anna sarcastically as she gripped onto the railing.

The wind picked up again, swirling about the boat from all sides, giving no real sense of direction. Behind them, the stone walls that had guided them vanished. They were suddenly in what looked like open ocean. Then it began to rain. "Wes!" screamed Lars. "Get to the crows nest! Keep lookout!"

"Aw, I always get the crows nest!" Wes whined.

"Don't give me that! Get up there!"

Wes sighed drastically. "Fine!" he said with attitude, then climbed up the rope ladder up the mast and to the crows nest. "Oky Doky, what do we have today... Looks like just water this time."

"This time?" asked Jase.

"Magical course" Lars reminded. "Never the same challenges twice. The ancients who enchanted this place liked to switch things up."

Then the boat dove down. A large swell formed just in front of the boat, forcing it down, then up the large wave. Everyone held on for dear life as the boat bobbed up and down. Olaf clung to Gunnolf, who had his claws buried into the wooden deck beneath him, his legs splayed out to achieve better balance. The rain picked up again, and by now everyone was sopping wet. All around them the water turned treacherous, waves and whirlpools forming. It was as if they found themselves in the middle of a hurricane. Ahead of them, a large cresting wave came up out of the water, rushing right at them. There was enough time to turn away, but Lars kept his course right ahead.

"Lars!" cried out Jase over the rain, pointing ahead. "Watch out!"

"I see it!" said Lars, keeping his hands firm on the wheel straight ahead.

Jase watched as the wave came closer, Lars making no attempt to move. "Lars!"

The wave was close now, frightening close. Everyone held tight, believing that it would come crashing down on them and possible break the boat in two. Kira was tempted to use her powers to try and stop it somehow, but instead found herself taking Lars' advice. At the last second, however, the wave split apart, each half zooming past them on either side. Jase watched in surprise as the two halves formed back together again once it had safely moved behind them. He looked back at Lars.

Lars smiled. "That was our first marker! Plenty more where that came from!"

Just then, Wes called out from above. "Whirlpool ahead! Giant one!"

"Perfect" said Lars. "We're going in the right direction!"

Anna clung on to Kristoff. "I'm going to be sick."

* * *

"I'm so sick of flying" Elsa muttered to herself.

At daybreak, Elsa and her new friends set off for the city of Shamrock. Shárra expected them to reach it before noon, which Elsa was happy about. Though she was finally getting used to it, flying was still something she found very uncomfortable, particularly because she nearly fell to her death twice already. She held on tight to Boran's neck, her heart skipping a beat each time Boran's body shook from flapping his wings. Nearby on Shárra, Jasp was leaning back on her back as if on a bed, his arms comfortably crossed behind his neck. He was reading Elsa's body language like a book.

"First time flying Sheila?" he asked.

Elsa nodded. "It's Elsa."

"Oh don't mind him" said Shárra. "He calls every woman that. I still don't understand it."

"I'll have you know that it's a compliment where I'm from" said Jasp. "It's synonymous with 'gentlewoman' or 'Lady'."

"Well it sounds insulting. Or maybe it's just the way you say it."

"You uncultured swine!" Jasp shot back. Then, either to show off or to simply bug her, he stood up on Shárra's back, showing just how well balanced he was. He then walked out over the edge Shárra's body and looked down. "I mean look at that. Thousands of feet up. One wrong step and I could fall. And it's a long way to the ground. I mean, you literally have enough time to contemplate life and death before the splat! And it's not always a quick death; you could break every bone in your body and just be lying for hours before its finally over..."

"You're not helping!" Elsa said.

"All I'm saying is, the better you accept your eventual death, the more you can enjoy life. It's all about..." Then Jasp lost his footing and did indeed fell off his steed, plummeting to the ground. He let out a yell before falling out of earshot.

"Oh my gosh!" Elsa screamed out in shock.

But Shárra just let out an irritated sigh. "Not again" she said more annoyed than worried. She simply retracted her wings and dove down after him. Boran watched while Elsa kept her eyes shut. Moments later, Shárra reappeared with Jasper safe on her back.

"Whoa! See what I mean!" said Jasp without losing a beat. "Imminent death. Gotta embrace it!"

"Please just stop talking" Elsa said.

"Alright, alright. If you don't want to hear the facts of life just say so..."

"STOP!" Everyone said in unison.

"You're all boring!" said Jasp. He then resumed his lying position and pulled his hat over his head to nap.

Shárra rolled her eyes. "He means well."

"Oh I'm sure he does" said Elsa with skepticism.

"He just comes from a, different culture, less refined."

"I can hear you!" said Jasp from under his hat.

"Good! Now if you can listen I'll be impressed" said Shárra. Jasp remained silent. Shárra rolled her eyes. "My best friend."

"Couldn't think of a more perfect match" teased Boran.

Shárra shot him a glare, then smiled, looking on ahead.

"Um, not that I don't love flying, but are we almost there?" Elsa asked.

"Why don't you look for yourself?" said Boran. Hesitant to move her head, Elsa looked up. Indeed, up ahead, out towards where the woods extend out onto an endless plain like a peninsula, was a settlement of some sort. It was still just a dot to Elsa, but she could make out civilization, the first she's seen in this so far unforgiving, yet enchanted landscape.

"Oh thank God this is ordeal almost over" she said happily.

* * *

"Oh God! Is this ordeal almost over?!" screamed Anna as she tightly embraced the mast, completely soaked to the bone both from the rain and the relentless spray of the sea.

"No idea!" said Lars with frightening glee as he skillfully guided the boat through the roughest parts of this labyrinth of hazards. While he kept at his post, Jethro ran about the ship, checking ropes and adjusting the sails whenever the situation called for it. Poor Marge, who was hanging onto one of the railing posts, was being thrown around like a withered flag. Kira, forbidden from using her magic, looked miserable gripping onto the lower mast alongside Anna. Kristoff and Jase held onto railing near the bow of the yacht, watching each new hazard approach, only to miraculously dissipate, even bending certain laws of physics to avoid them. It soon became clear that the most dangerous route was actually marking the way to go, each fearsome hazard acting as a marker. Jethro was now silently thanking himself that those dragons burned his boat, because he was now certain he would have misread that map the whole way here.

"Alright, don't panic!" said Anna to Kira. "I'm sure he's just pulling our legs!"

"I'm not panicking" said Kira.

"I said don't panic!" Anna nearly cried, exhausted from hanging on for what felt like hours, mostly because it was hours now.

" _You're_ the one panicking!" Kira said aloud.

"Well off course I'm panicking! My arms feel like they're going to fall off!"

Jase, hardly able to make out what anyone else was saying himself, called out. "How's everyone holding up?!"

Just after he said that, Gunnolf, with his legs splayed out and his snowy fur clinging to his body, forming a thin layer of slushy ice, came sliding down the deck past them. His ears were down and had had on a pitiful pout. Olaf as hanging on to one of his legs. "Make it sto-o-op!" he cried out.

"Anyone besides Olaf?"

"I think we're all on Olaf's side!" said Kristoff. He had lost his hat, and due to the position he chose; the railing near the bow, he was getting the brute of the waves.

"Almost everyone" said Jase, pointing up.

Everyone then looked up to see Wes, still on the crows nest, who looked to all like he had finally snapped. He had his shirt off, raising his fists into the air. "You call this a storm?! Come on you son of a gun! It's time for a showdown! You, and me! I'm right here! Come and get me! AHH HA HA HA!" He yelled out into the storm with a manic voice.

"Good Lord he's finally snapped!" said Kira.

"I'm surprised it hadn't happened sooner" said Anna.

Wes continued. "YOU'LL NEVER. SINK. THIS. BOAT! AH HA HA HA HA!"

"Do we put him out of his misery?!" said Kristoff over the wind.

"I've got a bunch of rocks we can use!" said Marge.

"No one's putting anyone out of any misery!" said Jase

"Come on Calypso! I dare you to sink us! I DARE YOU!"

"...yet" Jase added.

With each obstacle pass, another was quick to take its place. Whirlpool, tidal wave, rocks, icebergs, water spouts, swells, many repeating themselves with increasing veracity. Then, up ahead, Jethro spied what looked like large waves, moving against the current. Having much experience with the sea, and faring better than the others by leagues, he dared to run up to the mast and, leaping over Anna and Kira's heads, climbed up a few meters to get a better look.

"What is it?" asked Kira.

Jethro looked hard, squinting with the rains dripping down over his eyelashes. Then, he saw through the spray and the rain a definite, serpentine shape breaking the surface. "Lars! I think we have company!"

Lars was looking ahead as well. No sooner did the elf spoke did a large, snake like form erupt from the ocean. Shrouded by the dim light and the dense rain, they could still make out what it was. "Sea serpent!" cried out Jethro.

The serpent was large indeed, nearly twice the length of the boat. It was more fish like than like the reptilian dragons, with large, lidless, glowing blue eyes and a hinged jaw of a fish. It's gill flaps extended back behind its skull like fins. It opened its mouth and let out a long, loud, hiss-like roar, with the same blue light coming from deep in its throat, giving the creature an otherworldly, mythical look.

"Men, get your swords!" cried out Jase.

"No!" said Lars.

Jase snapped his head around, giving Lars an unbelieving stare. "What?!"

"That's our marker, our last marker! We must treat it like all the rest!"

"That thing will tear this ship apart!" said Marge.

"We sail on through it, like all the rest!" Lars kept his course and they sailed on right to the beast. The serpent roared again, it's voice blending into the wind, then it dove down. With its fins giving it away, the creature swam at them in a straight line, swaying back and forth like a snake.

"I don't like this!" said Kristoff.

The serpent passed them. The faint glow is gave off, even under the foamy sea, could be faintly seen. It began circling them. Of all on board, Wes had the best view.

"Lars!" said Jase.

"Just hang on! It's not like you have any choice anyway!"

He was right. The massive animal swam at them with more than twice of the large yacht. As the protruding fins came closer, its size became more and more apparent; it could have eaten the dragons that attacked the castle. Not even Jethro, who had experience with such creatures, could have any hope in fending this behemoth off. With immense reluctance, he just gave in to Lars' direction and held his ground. All the while, the serpent formed a circle around them with its serpentine body. From his crow's nest, Wes watched as the creature formed a ring of glowing blue light around them.

"OK, I take it back! Don't try to sink this ship!" Wes said in a panic.

Then, as quickly as it came, the ring vanished, and the creature dove. There was a faint, high pitch moan coming from deep beneath them.

A second later, it leapt up out of the water, opening wide its mouth, which was large enough to swallow the boat. This close, the small crew could see its thousands of sharp teeth, two rows of them on both halves of its jaws. The blue light emanating from its body lit up the boat. It came down on them with a great and frightening speed. The impact unavoidable, everyone, including the confident Lars, ducked, shutting their eyes and awaiting there doom.

But then, nothing. After almost ten seconds of remaining crouched down, It was Anna who first opened her eyes.

Within moments, the whole storm vanished. The clouds fades away, and the wind ceased, and the waters lost their momentum and calmed, and the monster, than moments ago was as real as the boat they were on, had vanished without a trace. In a matter of seconds, the storm gave way to a light overcast day.

At the helm, Lars let out a sigh. "We have passed the maze. Welcome to the Lands North!"

It was less than a tranquil entrance. Everyone was still sopping wet, but otherwise relieved that the whole ordeal was finally over. Gunnolf pulled his claws from the floors and stood up, shaking the ice water from his coat the best he could, though much of the ice clung onto it. "Here, let me get that" said Kira. She quickly waved her hand, melting the ice and reforming his snowy hair. Gunnolf shook it once more, then gave Kira a big, wet kiss.

Kira was the first to look ahead. In the near distance were a series of green islands. "Is that it?" she asked.

"The Larthurn archipelago" said Jethro, wringing the water from his shirt. "We're less than two days from Shamrock now."

Jase then looked back up at Lars. "I think Jethro can handle the rest of the way."

"Aw, but we were having so much fun" said Lars. Without another word, Jase walked back up to the helm, handcuffed the cooperative prisoner, and took Lars back down below, locking him up for the remainder of the trip. Lars went without any hesitation, knowing he couldn't escape even if he wanted to. Once he was down below, Jethro reclaimed his position at the wheel.

"Well, we made it" said Jethro.

Wes came flying down on one of the ropes, still shirtless. He hit the ground with a spring in his step. "Gosh I love storms! They always clear my sinuses and lift my spirits! Makes it feel good to be alive, you know?!" he said merrily.

You are never babysitting Matthew!" Anna told him.

Kira hid her eyes with her hands. "Where is your shirt?"

"My shirt is missing?" Wes asked. He looked at his bare, chiseled chest. "Huh, I don't remember that part. Shoot, I hope it didn't fall overboard."

"How much further to Shamrock?" asked Jase.

"Oh, let's see. Lathurn is just up there. We're only a few hours from the port of Lardon. So, two more days?"

"Two days?!" Anna screamed. "Elsa's already been gone for two days!"

"There isn't more I can do. Once we reach Lardon, we must ride two days to Shamrock."

Anna fumed, then walked out to the bow of the ship, staring out towards the land in the distance. "Just hang in there Elsa, we're on our way" she whispered.

* * *

"Just hang in there Elsa, we're almost there" said Boran.

Elsa took a deep breath, then dared to peak through her left eye. As light crept through her eyelids, the sight before her gave her the courage to open her right.

The city of Shamrock lied between two branches of a great forking river, one to the East and the other to the West. A few miles from the expansive forest to the south, Shamrock was set in a seemingly endless sea of grass. When they flew in close enough to get a better look, Elsa felt like she was stepping back in time. The buildings, many no more than one story, were made of stone bricks, carved out from the surrounding bedrock. They weren't subsidence dwellings though, and many had a very distinct style of architecture. The streets were meandering, none of them bearing any resemblance to a straight line, but nonetheless having same level of organization and thought of the more popular gridlock layout. Trees were abundant, small ones anyway, and shrubs and flowers too. From this height, Elsa was unable to distinguish buildings of trade shops from homes.

Then, up near where the rive forks, was the castle. It was small, about the size of Arendelle's castle, though lacking the wall. The only thing defending this castle was the wall surrounding the entire city. It was built similar to the stave churches she was used to. In fact, it could have been the inspiration for her ancestors. It was much larger than a church though, and could hold over a hundred people comfortably. Covered walkways ran along the roof on the second floor, and definite rooms peaked out the sloping, singular roof, no doubt for the royal family. Unlike much of the city, this castle was made entirely of wood.

The two dragons then swooned down, flying low along the edge of the city walls. Now closer to the ground, Elsa felt more comfortable, enough to lean back to get a better look. She saw some excitement along the tops of the stone walls as guards pointed at them. There was deep horn blast, no doubt signaling there arrival.

"This way" said Shárra. She flew on straight, parallel to the walls, until she slowed down, flapping her wings harder. Before them was a road, one end leading to the city gates, and the other towards a bridge going across the river. Down by the gates was a small band of guards, waving to them as the dragons flew in close. Following his sister's lead, Boran flew close behind and landed just behind her before the gates.

"Lady Shárra!" said one of the guards, an elf. He and the others had on light armor, with long, pointed helmets. He waved to her with a friendly demeanor. "Mr. Jasper! Welcome back!"

"Good to be back Harlon." said Shárra.

Then the guard, Harlon, looked back behind her at Boran and Elsa with a rouse of suspicion. "I see you have brought guests?"

"Yes" said Shárra. She turned back to look at them. Boran had bowed down, letting Elsa step off. She did so with little grace, her legs still shaky from the flight. "Long awaited guests at that. Harlon, let me introduce my brother, Boran."

Harlon's eyes shot wide open once realization hit him. "Boran, but, you said he was..."

"Not any more" she said with a smile. She turned and walked up to Boran, looking at him. "My brother has been found, home again."

At that, Harlon tilted his head quickly in respect. "Mr. Boran, it is nice to meet you. Thank the Heavens for your safe return."

Boran nodded. "Thank you, but part of that thanks goes to my little savior here." He arched his head back, looking at Elsa.

Harlon tried to hide a smile upon seeing her. Her blue dress was now covered in numerous grass and dirt stains, both faded from being soaked. Her braid was a tangled mess from the hours of flight. Even her vest, its dark colors hiding the stains better, showed tears and holes. Smudges of dirt and minor scrapes on her face only added to her disheveled look. Royalty was the last thing on this guard's mind.

"And, who are you, ma'am?"

Trying her best to look presentable, Elsa blew a loose strand of hair from her face. She flicked her hands against her clothing in hopes of removing at least some of the dirt, than stood up straight. "I am Elsa" she said shyly.

"Understatement of the year! said Jasp aloud. "Harly, you're looking at the Queen of Arendelle. Or if you will the..." he was stopped by a tail flick from Shárra, knocking him over.

"What happened to breaking it slowly?!" she snapped at him.

Harlon and the other guards suddenly tensed up at the name. They all fixed their eyes on Elsa. "Queen Elsa?" said Harlon. "The Snow Queen, in our presence?" Elsa went to correct them, but they quickly bowed down before them.

"Wait, that may be an overstatement..."

"Strif!" Harlon suddenly said aloud to one of his officers. "Ride to the castle! Alert the King! We have important guests!" Elsa shut her eyes in frustration. "My Lady, welcome to Shamrock."

* * *

 **I once again apologize for this long overdue chapter. This time I can safely blame work, but thankfully I found a break and had time to finish this chapter.**

 **So, we're now finally in Shamrock, where a whole myriad of characters await us. I am happy to finally say that we are nearing the end of part I of this story. Still a few chapters to go, but at least we can finally move the plot along.**

 **Thanks to all of you for hanging in there! Please feel free to review and leave your thoughts!**

 **-Batman**

 **P.S. Wes' reference this chapter? Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

The Northern Council

 **I dedicate this chapter to Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds. Carrie will always be my favorite princess; sass, blaster and all. A true role model to young women and a legend to us all. You will be missed.**

 **God Bless you as you take your final journey through the stars.**

* * *

The distance from the main gates to the castle wasn't that long. Elsa, with Frida perched on her shoulder, walked alongside Boran, Shárra, Jasp and their escorts, taking the shortest route through the winding streets of the city to the palace.

All around her, Elsa took in the sights and sounds of Shamrock. The houses were even more charming in person, bearing a primitive yet civilized touch. The cobblestone roads meandered around, never a straight line to be found, yet nowhere did it feel disorganized. It was a huge change from the grid system most cities stuck to. Flowers and ferns grew out of the cracks of the buildings and the path, but not one felt out of place or weedy in any way. The people, all of whom were staring out of curiosity, consisted of a mixture of elves, trolls, men, and even a few dragons (she thought for sure her reptilian friends would stand out, but it turns out they are just part of the normal passersby's here). They were chatting amongst themselves with curiosity, some in Norwegian, some in a dialect that was foreign to Elsa's ears. But there was an anxiety here. She could see it in the people's eyes. They looked worried and unsure, maybe even afraid.

They came across a section of the city where the houses and buildings ceased, giving way to a small neighborhood of sorts to troll dens. A rich green grass filled the hilly area, with small holes littering the area. But what stood out to her was a small clearing just across the troll village. It was cramped with numerous tents, not all of which were in the best conditions. They were close together, each hosting a small groups of individuals. The people in this section looked sad and meager; no doubt displaced from there homes. She correctly deduced that these were refugees from the attacks Jethro brought up just days ago in Arendelle. Though it was too early to come to a conclusion, she assumed this to be the cause of this gloom.

They were led on silently past the city and on towards the wooden castle. Up close, the structure was grand and spectacular, with many swirling, water like designs and figures carved into the supporting beams and walls, each telling a story it seemed. She imagined some of these were great historical figures to the people here, or they could just be purely decorative. Honestly she knew nothing of this culture, though her guides (and her earlier encounter with Jethro) gave her a small impression that it stemmed from the ancient roots of her own country, and that of many kingdoms in the area.

Two guards opened the doors, revealing an extensive grand hall. They are led in, leaving the crowd of curious onlookers outside. The ceiling extended high above their heads, easily accommodating a giant if it had too (in this case, dragons no doubt). On either side smaller wooden beams separated two side hallways. It was reminiscent of the ancient mead halls built by the Vikings she thought, but more refined, with hallways up three stories, with little eyes of the children of elves, men, and even a troll peaking down on them through railings. All around, servants and gathering officials circle them, hovering at a distance just behind the log pillars. Up ahead in the middle of the hall was the throne, a great wooden chair of detailed design, with matching, albeit smaller chairs on either side. It was empty at the moment, as the Chief had not yet arrived.

They waited there for half a minute in silence, awaiting the Chief's arrival. Then, bursting through twin doors to the side of the hall came a young woman, an elf with a thin silver crown on her head. She wore a light tan clothing, with long, flowing pieces of fabrics forming a parted dress of sorts covering her loose pants. She was rushing in with a nervous expression on her sace, fixing a strand of her red hair as she briskly entered the room. The room curtsied lightly to her as she approached the floor immediately in front of the throne.

She glanced briefly at Elsa before bowing lightly, keeping her legs straight as she leaned forward. "Greetings" she said with a tense edge in her voice. "Welcome to our home. Please excuse my father, he had business out of the city and won't be here till tomorrow morning. Um, I am Risten, daughter of the Chief."

"That's alright" said Elsa. In the suddenly familiar, formal setting, Elsa's royal training kicked in and she curtsied lightly. "Thank you for welcoming me here."

"Our guards have told me that you are Queen Elsa, of Arendelle. Is this true?" asked Risten.

Elsa held back a gulp, afraid of her apparent popularity in this land, both good and bad. Nevertheless, she had no choice in the matter, so she answered "Yes, I am."

A series of gasps and whispers filled the room. Elves and men and trolls gawked at Elsa, and she felt the pondering eyes gaze at her. It made her feel exposed, and in a tattered state nonetheless, so she instinctually crossed her left arm up and gripped her shoulder.

Risten breathed in sharply, trembling lightly at the confirmation. "You're arrival is, a surprise to us" she said. "We've only just sent Jeth... I mean, our ambassador little more than a month ago. He should have _just_ reached you."

"He did, and I did meet with him just days before." said Elsa. "But there is some urgency now. I didn't come here on my own will."

"Oh?"

"My kingdom was attacked, by dragons."

There was an outburst of chatter in the room. It remained tame in volume, but Elsa could sense how this disturbed them.

"Dragons?" asked Risten.

"Yes. At least five. A few were killed, but at least one was still alive when I was taken. I still don't know what is happening back home."

"I don't know how much J... the captain was able to relay to you, but we ourselves have been receiving such attacks as well. But we have no information of attacks outside the Lands North. The dragons we know here are still reluctant to even fly near the borderlands. An attack that far south only confirms the seriousness of the situation. How did you escape?" Risten asked.

Elsa glanced over her shoulder at Boran. He, his sister, and Jasper have been silent up until now. "It was Boran who rescued me" Elsa finally said.

Risten looked up at the dragon. "Boran is it?" asked Risten. "Well, I think we have a dept of gratitude to owe you."

Boran, rejecting any sentiment, shook his head. "It is I who am in dept to Her Majesty." He looked down at Elsa. "She rescued me, from myself."

Risten raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I'm confused."

Boran looked back up and faced the young women. "I was one of those dragons who attacked Arendelle."

"What?!" Risten balked.

Immediately Harlon spoke up. "What is the meaning of this?!" He looked to Shárra. "I thought he was your brother?"

"He is" said Shárra.

"Brother?" asked the Risten.

"Long story" said Jasp.

"It wasn't his fault" said Elsa in Boran's defense. "He was being controlled, so were the others."

"Like I said, long story" said Jasp.

"Is there a straight answer here?" Risten asked. It was clear her nerves were rattled. She looked at Shárra. I didn't even know you had a brother."

"Yes" said Shárra, standing forward. "For a while I thought so too." she paused for a moment. "He was under a spell, a horrible spell, who's name I will not say here. I can say without second guess that my brother was innocent of all crimes. That was until the Snow Queen saved him."

Elsa shut her eyes tight and her lips curled back in in a small fit of anger. _Did she have to bring that up here? In front of a crowd of people?._

As soon as Shárra said 'Snow Queen', a series of loud and excited gasps swept the room. Elsa shut her eyes, not daring to turn to see the faces boring there eyes into the back of her head. By then, Shárra realized her mistake. She turned back, giving Elsa an apologetic look.

Risten remained quiet for a short while. The young, inexperienced daughter of the chief was overwhelmed. "I think, maybe we should continue this in a proper meeting Preferably in the presence of my father. I'm sure you're exhausted from your long journey." Risten looked at Elsa's tattered condition. She looked like she went through hell... and rain, and dirt and stuff. "Perhaps you would like to rest... and change."

Elsa sighed, looking at herself. "I think some rest would do us all some good."

* * *

To say Elsa wasn't relieved after a nice warm bath would be an outright lie. For the first time in almost a week, she felt warm and comfortable in her own skin again. She felt even more refreshed after being given a fresh set of clothing. She could have just made her own using her magic, but given her host's insistence on hospitality, she decided it would be rude to decline. That, and she wasn't much in the mood for showing off.

All the while, the servants insisted on cleaning her themselves. It was Risten who kept them at bay, shooing them away at every turn. Elsa couldn't be sure, but she was sure that the elf was aware of her insecurities about physical contact. She acted in a way Anna did at social gatherings, constantly shielding Elsa from unneccessary contact, particularly from the countries that insist on hugs and kisses as a form of greeting. Perhaps it was just her own nervous nature that she acted this way; shielding an important dignitary from feeling smothered.

Elsa was behind a changing curtain, trying on her new clothes while Risten waited outside, pacing with her hands held behind her back. Frida remained perched on a hanging rack, calmly resting after the long journey.

"I want to thank you again for lending me these clothes" said Elsa from behind the curtain.

"Please think nothing of it. Please, keep them."

"Oh no, it's alright. I'll return..."

"My Lady, you are our guest. Please, I insist."

Then, having finished changing, Elsa stepped out from behind the curtain. "Well, I wouldn't want to be rude."

The fabric used to make this green dress was more coarse than what she was used to, as thicker thread was used. In many countries this would be considered a low quality fabric, usually worn by peasants who resort to making their own clothing. But this didn't feel poor by any standards. The fabric was sown with intricate patterns of cross stiches; an art form all on its own. She had seen this before, but rarely in clothing. Even with the coarse threads, the cloth felt soft and smooth on her skin. Part of this outfit, Risten also gave her a dark blue, lacy blouse to wear over. Shoes only being wore for functional necessity (and even then usually open toed sandals), Elsa's old shoes were carefully cleaned and returned to her.

"It looks good on you!" said Risten. "Although, I think I should have given you a blue dress. I think blue suits you better."

"Oh that's alright" said Elsa, admiring the dress in a mirror. She tried twirling it, though it didn't follow well. Just as she liked it. "Change is a good thing, right?"

"I suppose though. But if you want to change it's not a problem."

"It's good your grace. Please, don't worry. I love it."

Risten let out a tense sigh. "Very well. Now, my father is very anxious to speak with you... actually, everyone is. I have sent a messenger to meet him halfway, so he will be ready to meet you tomorrow morning at the most. I imagine you will need a days rest regardless, so please feel free to make yourself at home. There will be a servant outside waiting on you."

"Thank you, very much for everything. Do you know where my friends are staying?"

"Well, Mr. Jasper has a small shack on the outskirts in he lives in. We've offered him a nicer home, but he seems to like the meager dwelling... odd man. Shárra and her brother were talking in the courtyard in the back, so I imagine they will find a place to spend the night outside. But don't worry; dragons aren't fancy of shelters anyway."

"Alright. Thank you once again, for everything."

Risten nodded. "Feel free to take as long as you need." Risten got up to leave. She went to turn, but she hesitatingly stopped. "Before I go, can I ask you just one question Your Majesty?"

"Of course."

"Well, back in your home country, the messenger, Jethro, was he alright the last time you saw him?"

"Jethro? Well..." Honestly, the last time Elsa saw him he was jumping off the castle wall onto a dragon's back. To any stranger she would simply state the facts. But Risten has already been so kind to her, and she looked to be a shy, high strung person. Saying _that_ wouldn't help those nerves at all.

Then of course, Elsa was a horrible liar.

"... He was fine, last I saw."

Risten narrowed her eyebrows. "You hesitated."

"What, no I... fine, I did."

"Please just tell me. I can take it." She did her best to put on a strong face, but Elsa could tell she was anxious,

Elsa took a breath, deciding to choose her words carefully. "He was alive the last I saw..." Not her best choice of words. "... He was aiding my men in defending the castle from the dragon attack, when he, um, well he _engaged_ one of the dragons..."

"Oh that reckless...!" Risten shouted afoul. In one instant, her nervous temperament ceased, replaced with one of exasperation. She clenched her fists, then spun around, paced a bit, then punched the door. She didn't break through, but the door did rattle, and there was the sound of splintering. Elsa jerked back in fright. When Risten removed her fist, she revealed a good sized dent in the door.

"Woah!" Elsa said in astonishment. "Did that hurt...?"

"Just once, _once_ I would wish he's take it easy, but _nooo!_ He's always got to show off, especially to foreigners! I swear he's made it his life's mission to worry me to death! Why that..." Risten, remembering her company, stopped herself. She looked at Elsa, who had taken at least five steps back. She looked at the door, realizing what she had done, and in front of a guest nonetheless. "Oh, oh I'm sorry." Risten, her face blushing with embarrassment, her more timid self taking over once again. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair then straightened her skirt.

"That's, alright. Did you hurt yourself?" Elsa asked her attention still on the fist shaped crack in the solid wood door.

"Huh? Oh the door? Oh no I'm fine. I'm so sorry, I just lost my head there for a second."

"Yeah but the door... oh never mind." Elsa dropped it. She knew that elves were inheritably stronger then men; apparently the same thing extended to she-elves. "I take it you two are close friend then?"

Risten toyed with her hair for a second. "Well, it's more than that..." she blushed. She looked down. "I'm sorry, its personal. I don't want to trouble you."

"No please, trouble me."

Risten looked up at her. "He's my, fellow."

"Fellow?" asked Elsa.

Risten though, than nodded in understanding. "Right. I guess in the south it would be a boe. Boyfriend, lover."

"Oh" Elsa said. "I'm sure he's fine then."

"Oh I'm sure he is. He can take care of himself, that I know. Doesn't stop me from worrying though. Anyway, let me let you be. You must want to rest for now."

"That would be fine. And thank you again."

"Your most welcome." Risten then held her palms together, then bowed lightly. After that, she promptly left, closing the door behind her.

By herself, finally clean, fed, and not in peril, Elsa felt relieved to finally have some time to herself. She went over to the made bed, lied down, and closed her eyes, sighing in relief. She intended to get back up before dinner was served, but she slept on through the rest of the day, into the night, and on to the morning.

* * *

The Northern Council met in in the grand assembly room that next morning. It its center was a long, narrow wood table, with over twenty seats assembled. The room itself was wide, large enough to accompany dragons if need be, which in this case was three; Boran, Shárra, and a larger, darker colored dragon Elsa had never seen before.

Elsa was led in last, being the guest of honor (and she woke up late). Rinsten was the one who would lead her in, along with a young servant girl. Elsa saw at the one head Risten's father, the Chief. Beside him on his right sat another younger elf, presumably his son. There was another sea to his left she assumed was for his daughter, who for today had the pleasure of sitting beside their most distinguished guest. In speaking of Risten, Elsa noticed a slight detachment from her timid self, seeing her hands less fiddling and her breathing had slowed down. Still, she kept checking her features, making sure she was proper and neat.

On either side Elsa saw a mixture of humans, elves, and trolls. One troll in particular Elsa noticed seemed well advanced in age, even more than Pabbie is... was. Elsa herself was escorted to the other head, her being the most distinguished guest here. Before she could take a seat, Risten grabbed her by the arm and urged her to remain standing. Before she could question, all the guests rose at once. Now that everyone was accounted for, they once again sat down in unison. Risten urged Elsa to follow. Only the elf chief remained standing.

"My father, Chief Winston" whispered Risten into Elsa's ear. "The other is my brother, Yishdere."

Chief Winston was a heavy set figure. He bore a light crown of gold, adorned with a single, small silver jewel in the front of it. He wore a long robe, made up of a light, brown fabric. "Welcome most noble members of the Northern Council" he said in a lighthearted voice. The others at the table gave him a friendly nod. "I realize this is meeting is of short notice, but recent developments have made this gathering all but unavoidable."

He then looked at Elsa. "May I welcome with our most distinguished guest today; Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

There was an applause for the Queen. This was followed almost immediately with chattering. "Now, this being our first distinguished guest from the outside in centuries, I only think it wise to introduce ourselves." He looked to Elsa with a jolly expression. "I am Chief Winston, Lord of Shamrock, Head of the council."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Then the Chief sat, while another member of the council rose, a large man of Russian descent. "I am Norman McAlister. I represent the humans who have come to colonize this land from the bordering lands."

Then Norman sat, and another person rose, a red-haired, human woman with a dark brown dress. "I am Wanda Morrison. I represent those from around the world who come here looking for answers about their various 'gifts'."

Wanda sat, and another person, a troll of advanced age rose. He had two troll helpers, one on either side, who helped the aging troll up. His eyes were glazed over with a pail haze. Blindness. He gave a simple nod, but said nothing else before sitting back down. When Elsa looked closer, she saw that his eyes were clouded over.

Next to her, Rinsten whispered quickly "That's Gnock, the troll shaman of Shamrock. He's not big on ceremony, so don't take anything personally."

Behind the trolls, the tall dark colored dragon leaned his head forward. This one had almost black scales on his back, with grey scales on his belly. Two small, blunt horns sat over his ayes, pointed forward, with several longer, narrow spikes coming out from the back of his head to the beginnings of his neck. "I am Montark. I am the voice of the dragon race." He spoke with a stark, stiff voice. He was probably not a fan of formalities Elsa thought.

And that was it. A few more minor dignitaries introduced themselves, but held little weight in this council. The council then grew silent, all eyes looking at Elsa.

Elsa received a nudge from Risten. "You're up. Introduce yourself" she whispered.

Elsa gulped. Before anyone Elsa could say anything, Elsa rose, slowly. She felt out of place, this being an entirely different world to her. But she pulled herself together, then spoke.

"I am Queen Elsa, of Arendelle."

"The Snow Queen?" asked Norman.

"This notion of 'Snow Queen' is new to me, so I cannot give you any answer on that..."

At that, Wanda rose. "So you're not her?"

"I said I do not know" Elsa said. "Look, I understand that you all are having trouble here. My kingdom has just fallen under this siege. Three days ago my Kingdom was attacked by dragons. I was brought here against my will, and I seek your help now, both to understand this threat, and to find a way home. I still don't know in what state my home is in."

All while she spoke, the council exchanged a series of small talk, all trying to come to an opinion on the matter.

Then Norman rose again. "My Lady, did our ambassador explain to you the prophecy foretold by the ancient trolls?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, and like I said, this is new to me. Before I thought it to be some kind of folk tale. But..." she glanced at Boran, then to Shárra. "In the last few days, I have come to doubt my initial beliefs. I'm not saying that I am, not in the least. What I am saying though, is that we have a common enemy, and I do wish to form an alliance with you."

"An enemy" said another voice. Elsa turned to it, revealing it to be that of the old troll, Gnock. He continued "an enemy who's every action draws only more mystery."

This old troll's beard was very long, longer than even the longest beard she had ever seen. He had no hair of any kind on his head. He looked about with blind eyes, showing no focus on anything or anyone. He did not stand like the others did when they spoke, probably because of his advanced age, but the immediate and full attention this troll attained made it clear that he was revered amongst these people.

"Your Majesty" Gnock continued, "While you may not find truth in the prophecy, our common enemy does. Why else go through the trouble of exposing himself so far outside our borders, into the modern world nonetheless? Hmm?"

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know. Perhaps this enemy is mistaken?"

"Maybe" said Gnock. "But then, are any of us entirely sure when it comes to ancient text?" he said as if a joke. There were a few chuckles throughout the room, but most were in reverenced silence. "And then again, fate has a way of throwing such evidence into our faces. Time will tell, but for now, let us worry on the present. Perhaps the details of your abduction and, _rescue_." Gnock, though blind, tilted his head towards Boran across the table behind those seated there. "I want to hear about how your kidnapper turned guide. Very curious."

"As am I" said King Winston. He looked to Boran, followed by the eyes of the rest of the congregation. "My daughter tells me you were one of the attacking dragons. What is the meaning of this?"

Boran blinked, then turned his eyes down. "For a long time, over ten years now, I have not been myself. I was a prisoner in my own mind, watching my body used to carry out unspeakable crimes."

"A spell?" asked Wanda.

Boran nodded. "It was Queen Elsa who broke the spell and freed me."

"With her powers?" asked Norman.

"Yes."

"So then you know the enemy?"

Boran shook his head. "No. No most of what happened before was a blur."

"A ten year blur?" asked Winsten

"No. Not all of it. I can remember bits and pieces. A musty cave, attacks on villages, some faces, that's all. I can't even tell you where I spent most of my time."

Then Montark spoke. "An interesting story, assuming it were true."

"He speaks the truth!" said Shárra, snapping at the larger dragon.

The darker dragon snapped his head towards her. "Know your place underling!"

Beside Elsa, Risten's eyes widened at the confrontation. Dragons spoke much louder than most as it was, so when they argued it was a chaotic affair.

"Not when you treat my brother like that!" Shárra spat.

"Tell 'em sister!" cheered Jasp.

Montark growled at the Aussie, who barely even flinched. He then turned his attention back to the blue dragon. "I will let your subordinance pass, only because of your closeness to this issue. But think everyone. What spell can cause such an affliction? Ten years, with little to no conscious, with some _other_ conscious in command. Not even you Gnock know of such an aggressive enchantment."

"There is one" Shárra stated. "The Dark Mirror."

At that, the whole room broke into gasps. The room grew quiet, as if Shárra just spoke some taboo, something no one wanted to speak of.

"The Dark Mirror?" asked Winston. "But, that is impossible. Every piece has been accounted for and destroyed."

"Not all" said Elsa, daring to speak up. She rose once again. "I was under its spell once, not more than five years ago. A malevolent prince used it on me, and I nearly destroyed my family as a result."

"But to use it on one dragon?" asked Montark. "Why go through all the trouble?"

"Perhaps it isn't" said Jasper, speaking up.

Wanda spoke up with annoyance in her voice. "Jasper, you are not a formal member..."

"Neither is my partner or her brother, or the queen for that manner, so technically this isn't a typical meeting. Besides, I've always wanted to say something at one of these."

Then Winsten said "Let him speak. Maybe he has something to offer."

"Much obliged your worshipfulness" said Jasp. "Like I was saying, what if this isn't just some one time deal. What if, and don't rebuttal this right away, this same thing applies to _all_ of the members of the attacking raiders, dragons and persons alike."

At that, Wanda laughed. "All of them? Are you mad? Even if some of the shards still existed, it wouldn't be enough for a whole army."

"True, I figured that. But now I've witnessed some of these raids, and fought them. Now you all know how we haven't been able to take prisoners, being they all fought to the last breath, and we've given plenty of chances. Now I've been in a few battles back in the Colonial Forces, and one thing we've had plenty of was prisoners, if only because not all value loyalty over life. One other thing, is that most warriors have a battle cry of some sort, if only battlefield communication. These guys fight without any communication. Unless they can read minds, that ain't possible."

By everyone's surprise, the odd foreigner actually made sense.

"He's not wrong" said Norman. "Now that he's mentioned it, I have seen that too in the attacks."

"In fact, that sounds about right in _all_ of the raids" said Winsten.

"An odd coincidence" said Gnock. "One that must not be overlooked..."

Then there was the noise of doors smacking against the wall, echoing through the grand room. The meeting was interrupted by a young servant boy charging in through the doors.

"Cloverton has been attacked!" he screamed, shattering the civil mood. "Refugees of coming in through the North gate!"

At once, Winsten rose, his eyes fixated on the messenger. "Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is over."

* * *

 **Hello everyone!**

 **First off, I am not dead (That seems to be the first conclusion people come to on this site when someone doesn't post). Close call though. Fly-fishing in the wilderness, fell in an icy cold river, broke my leg, dragged myself back 5 miles through a country trail, all the while ice forming to my beard with this coyote following me waiting for me to drop... OK, maybe not all that, but some of that is true!**

 **I apologize profusely for the extremely long delay. Not only have I been busy, but I had to overhaul my outline. I had to be sure this chapter went well, as it is a point of no return in the sense that whatever route I decide to go here, I had to stick with it. After much internal debate (sometimes outright WWE), I have finally decided on a solid outline. Hope you all enjoy this and what happens next.**

 **Also, I have been at work for my own original story, a fanstasy novel. I have ended up taking some original aspects of this story in it, including but not limited to Wesley. So, if you come across some new fantasy book in the distant future and see good ole Wes running around, just remember his humble roots!**

 **Anyway, better get back to work. Please let me know what you think! It's been a while since I've heard from most of you.**

 **-Batman**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Reunited

* * *

 **(3 days before)**

The one they call the Master sat on his throne, shrouded in an unnatural darkness around his throne. Before him were five of his most trusted warriors. Skouch the dragon was his least favorite, but a cunning fighter nonetheless. Three were men, one of which a former general from some southern kingdom named Gareth. The other two were his former lieutenants. Cast out for war crimes, he and his blind followers succumbed to more radical ideals, they found and now serve the dark Master in this mysterious land. The last was Klydrun, the lone wolf of the group, preferring to keep silent when he could and to avoid the planning process as much as possible. They were huddled around a table, on it a map of the western side of the massive island of the Lands North.

"Our forces are nearly complete" said Skouch. "I doubt we even need the one more raid."

"To be overly prepared is to eradicate the margin of error" said Gareth. "The more soldiers, the better odds we have."

"The more raids we conduct the more we risk the enemy discovering our base, or worse the Master's identity."

"Because your little failure at Arendelle didn't bring attention to ourselves" Gareth said with bitter sarcasm.

"I did the best with what I had!" snapped the dragon at the unflinching human. "She was more familiar with her powers than we had known."

"Then only the more we need this last raid. We must be prepared for her."

"If she even found her way out of the forests by then."

"She has" said the Master, rising from his throne. His voice silenced the room. "There is no doubt there. This raid, this last raid, is necessary. We are close now, so close now to accomplishing our task. We have waited too long not to take precautions."

Gareth bowed slightly. "I shall make the preparations."

"Include myself in them."

All were surprised by this, even the silent Klydrun, which turned his head to his master. "Sir?" asked Gareth.

"I think it is only fair I help oversee the final steps in the grand plan. Make your plans General." The Master then walked down the stairs from his throne. He extended his hands out, where streams of gray magic came off his hands. They swirled all around him, wrapping him in their aurora. "When this raid is over, we shall finally finish what we started." The magic sparkled and spasmed. When they left, they left behind metallic armor. From the gauntlets on his hands to the plates on his chest and metal boots, all the way to the full helmet that encased his head, side plates blocking a direct view of his face. Only his beady eyes showed through the visor. With that, the Master was instantly ready for battle. "And when this is over, I shall have my revenge. I shall finally achieve what _she_ stole from me so long ago."

* * *

 **(Present Day)**

Rushing outside, the members of the council watched as a few dozen guards rushed off to the North Gate. Chief Winsten and his son were already on horses, riding fast to the North of the city. The others rushed off on foot and steeds, leaving Elsa behind. Risten stayed with her, refusing to leave her guest without at least one host. Boran stayed as well. His sister and her partner rushing off to help, he thought it would be best to stay behind with she whom he owed so much. Elsa wanted to go see what was going on, but decided to wait until the main mass of people rush forward, lest she accidently impede some aid. When she felt relatively comfortable, she ventured forward.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Risten asked, rushing to catch up with the faster Elsa. "There will be a lot going on. I don't know if you will be of any help."

"I want to see for myself what goes on up here" Elsa told her.

Risten relented and followed. Boran did so to, walking briskly behind the two. Risten leading the way, they made it to a massive crowd circling the gate. They couldn't see much behind the crowds of workers and civilians rushing to help, so Boran volunteered himself to let the two women walk up onto his back to see what was going on. The wooden gates were wide open, letting swarms of people through the walls. Guards were set up along the edge of the crowd of refugees, both looking for villains that might be sneaking in or helping to direct traffic. The people wobbled in, some carrying wounded or sporting bandages or slings themselves. There were children here, some no older than Matthew was. Many looked tired, on the verge of collapse even. They had torn clothing and dirt on their faces. Most were men and elves, though there were a few trolls amongst them. One of these coming in was a dragon, a small brown one with an injured wing.

Elsa looked on in horror as aid came out to meet the refugees, applying bandaging or directing the now homeless to shelter, which was already hard to come by. It was a pitiful sight, one Elsa imagined her own people must have looked like following the siege on the castle back home.

"How many raids is this now?" Elsa asked Risten.

After a moment to recall, she answered "Over thirty now, though some villages were hit multiple times. But the raids are getting worse now, more numerous and more severe."

"Do they take anything? Food, treasures? What are they after?"

Risten looked down. "We don't know. The dragons burn everything, and the peoples in the raid take nothing. Nothing but prisoners."

Elsa looked to Risten in surprise. "I thought there were no prisoners."

" _We_ don't take prisoners. But _They_ take many."

"What do they do to-" Elsa stopped when her attention was called away by a particular cry for help. It caught her ear somehow, rising slightly above the loud commotion already dampening the air with noise.

"Help us!" cried a young girl just coming into the gates through the congregation, supporting an injured man on her shoulders. "Help! My father's been struck with ice!"

This caught Elsa's attention. Suddenly, she was filled with the need to help. "Boran, Boran let us down" Elsa said quickly. Boran obliged and lowered himself to let the two women off. Elsa rushed off immediately shoving her way through the crowds, leaving a reluctant Risten to follow. In this chaos, no one noticed the Queen of Arendelle or the daughter of the Chief pushing their way deeper and deeper into the mess of people.

It was some time before Elsa finally pushed her way through the people to the couple in question. A troll was already there, looking over the man laid down on the ground, the man's daughter holding his hand. She propped his head up. Soon Elsa spotted Gnock being helped to the spot by two other trolls.

"What have we here?" the blind old troll asked as his helpers led him to the man.

"It's my father" the young girl said. "One of the attackers, a man came. He had ice powers. My father just made it out before being frozen to death."

Gnock felt the man's head, who had fallen silent in a shivering fit that overtook his body. He looked pale now, with a good portion of his hair already turned white with frost. Gnock shook his head. "No doubt an attack by an ice wielder."

"But sir" one of his troll aids said, "There hasn't been any gifted ones in the raids before."

"This one there was!" said an elf who was listening in nearby, limping forward on a crutch. "I saw him, and he was not only mastering ice, but fire as well, and he was lifting things in the air without touching them, tossing wagons like they were nothing."

"I saw it too!" said an elderly woman. "There was black smoke coming from his hands, and it struck people around like rag dolls."

At that, Gnock, for the first time since Elsa met him, raised his eyebrows, not so much in surprise, but in confirmation of some hidden fear. The old blind troll said nothing, but continued feeling the man's injuries with his hands. After a while, Gnock had reached a verdict. He tilted his head solemnly at the young girl. "I'm afraid his heart has been infected, and for some time now too. I am sorry my child, but he doesn't have much time left."

The girl put her hands to her mouth as the color drained from her face. "No! No please, please do something! He's my father!"

Gnock shook his head silently. "That is beyond my skill." The girl's eyes filled up with tears, and she wrapped her arms around her unresponsive father.

"Not mine!" Elsa said out loud. She caught the attention of those immediately surrounding her, those who could just hear her in the rukus. Gnock turned around, half expecting her to do be here. Walking up to him, Elsa said again "I can help him."

"Can you now?" asked Gnock. "This would be impossible for most, save for _one_ that is."

Elsa shot him an annoyed glare. "I've done it before, on my sister. I can save him."

Gnock nodded, then silently stepped aside for Elsa to walk through. The young girl looked up to her with tears in her eyes. "You can help him?"

"I'll try" said Elsa. "But I will need his help, and yours."

The girl looked to her father. He was shivering hard now, his ability to focus on his daughter's voice hindered by the cold. "Father. Father." The man responded, looking at her with glassy eyes. "Father, I found someone who can help. Please, listen." The girl looked up at Elsa with hopeful eyes. Elsa blinked. She knew it could be done. But Anna was different. Anna she loved, and had memories to back them up. This man she knew nothing about. Would it even work for anyone outside family? Still, she had to try.

She looked at the man. "Hello" Elsa said softly. The man looked up at Elsa with a glassy look in his eyes. "Hello-"

"Leon" said the girl.

"Hello Leon" Elsa continued. "My name is Elsa, I'm going to help you."

Leon nodded.

Elsa put her hand on his chest. She could feel the magic within, buried in his heart, its power reaching out into the whole of his body. It was working fast, far faster than hers ever did, like it was put there with the intention to cause pain. "Now, you're going to have to help me out here. I can pull it out, but it's love that will thaw it. I need you to think of your family. Your daughter, all those who you love. You have to think about how much you love them, every cherished memory, even the hard times." Elsa then leaned in close to his head, so he can hear her. "I know you're afraid, but you can't think about that right now. Keep all the love in front, and don't worry. Do you understand?"

Amidst his trembling's, Leon nodded.

Elsa then looked to the girl. "Hold him close." The girl obliged and clung to her father. Elsa let out a nervous sigh, and focused hard. She waited until she felt a little warmth coming from the man's heart. Half a minute passed before Elsa felt the ice loosen. Working quickly, Elsa willed the ice to come out. Elsa closed her eyes as, to her relief, the ice slowly came out, inch by inch. She had learned from Anna that it had to be slow, very slow. "Doing good. Keep it up. Keep thinking of your daughter." There was some resistance, but Elsa kept it up. But Elsa was beginning to feel that something was off. The magic seemed, _familiar_ somehow. It was frightening, but right now she had to keep her mind on saving this man's life.

Then it appeared, the sight of the glistening ice magic emanating out his chest. The glowing, translucent, massless substance flowed out, leaving the man from no fixed point of entry. As it did, the pale, icy complexion on the man's skin faded away. Then the whiteness left his hair, returning it to its natural brown state. In the course of seconds, the man went from appearing on the verge of death to a picture of health. Immediately, the light returned to his eyes, and he tilted his head up in surprise. He looked to his daughter. "Palm" he called to her

The girl was beyond joy as she pulled her dad in to a tight hug. "Pa!" she cried. "Pa you're alright!"

After every ounce of ice magic left the man, Elsa pulled the magic to herself, letting it flow between her fingers as she contained the still active force. Now that the man was safe and the family was reunited, Elsa took a moment to look at the magic before letting it fade into nothingness. She knew how her magic felt when compared to another's, particularly one menacing figure she would have preferred to forget. She hadn't even thought of him up until now. Elsa then opened her hands up, letting the magic flow up into the air immediately before her. As she had expected, it formed a snowflake. She had long known that anyone with the power of ice had a specific snowflake unique to them. The snowflake before her though was uneven, with spikes poking out in an unsymmetrical pattern. It was ugly, and grim. It _was_ familiar to her. A sense of dread overcame her just before the snowflake deteriorated into fine sparkling dust, then nothing.

To say that the snowflake did not disturb her would be an outright lie. She nearly jumped back at the sight. It unnerved her so much that she was temporarily unaware of the gathering mass of people around her. Slowly but surely, her senses returned to her, and she became suddenly aware of all the eyes gazing at her. It was quiet now, at least in the area immediately surrounding her. She wish she could just vanish from sight just then. Better yet, she wish she had one of Wes' capsules to go off somewhere else but here. Home preferably.

"Are you her?" Elsa suddenly heard girl say from in front of her. Leon was looking much better, and was become more and more alert, but was otherwise silent, exhausted from the ordeal. "Are you the Snow Queen?" Pam asked again.

This Elsa thought quickly. She wasn't ready to give in to fate, not willingly anyway, not just yet. She was bound and determined to keep her future her own. But she saw that the young girl was looking to her with a gleam of hope in her eyes. How could she take that away from her? Thinking fast, she thought up a safer answer.

"I am here to help" Elsa answered her. "In anyway I can."

The girl smiled, accepting that answer. She then returned to tending to her weak father. Behind her, the crowd that was silent just moments before gradually returned to more important matters. There were still many more people in need to tend. Risten and Boran stood behind her, the young elf awestruck at the miracle that took place just moments before. Boran, on the other hand, was not surprised in the least at what Elsa could do. The attention momentarily drawn from her, Elsa immediately went to Gnock.

"You have skill" said Gnock.

"Who is he?" Elsa asked with insistence, ignoring Gnock's praises.

"He who?" asked Gnock.

"I think you know."

"The Enemy? My dear, no one knows."

"But he was there, wasn't he? In the village that was attacked. The one who did this to the man."

"Yes, yes, very interesting. And from what we just heard, he can also master fire, levitation, and something involving smoke."

"But" said Boran, snaking his head into the conversation. "No one can have multiple gifts at once, can they?" he asked.

"Only one type of person can do such a thing, and only one can exist at a time."

"A sorcerer?" Risten asked, having snuck up from behind. "But, there hasn't been one in ages."

"Not for a thousand years now. Always been a mystery as to why that was."

"And now a sorcerer is the one behind all this" said Boran.

"I know who he is" said Elsa out of the blue.

At once, Gnock looked to her. "You know him?"

Boran and Risten looked to her, confused. "Elsa?" Boran asked.

"The snowflake" Elsa said. "The ice I took out of the man just moments before, it felt familiar. When I let the magic take its natural shape, it made the shape of a snowflake. I don't need to tell you that anyone who can control ice has a special snowflake. This one was twisted, malformed and uneven. More like a frozen explosion than a form of crystal. I have seen it before. I saw it when I took ice out of Jase's head in Arendelle. It was Gregor's snowflake."

"The Ice King of Karamar?" asked Gnock.

"But, he's dead" Risten said, more confused than before. "You defeated him, right?"

Elsa stood silent for a moment in contemplation. She remembered that day like it was yesterday. Her hand was pinned under a block of ice, and the Ice King was standing before her, moments from trapping her in ice, determined to imprison her like he was. But she deflected that ice and it hit him in the heart, freezing him from the inside out. Moments later, he icy form fell, shattering into ice dust, then blew off into the wind. In no way or form could she imagine that he could come back. "I did. He can't be back, can he?"

"I highly doubt he could" said Gnock. "But his power was not his own."

Elsa nodded in understanding. "He got the power from a sorcerer... this sorcerer."

"Indeed" said Gnock. "It stands to reason that the sorcerer behind all this is the very same that granted the greedy king's wish all those hundreds of years ago."

"But, that would make him over 300 years old" said Boran. "No human can live that long."

"No, no not that I know of. But then there are ways, twisted, unnatural ways of prolonging life. Ways that involve invoking dark, horrid forms of magic only the wicked dare seek. Ways lost long ago to time. Or so I thought."

"That does match the description of this enemy." Said Boran. "He could have been planning this for near a hundred years."

"Or more" Gnock suggested. "Nevertheless, this enemy has just proven far more powerful, and dangerous than any could have guessed."

"Oh no" said Risten, putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh no oh no. This is bad. We, we need to assemble the council again." She spoke quickly, walking back and forth in a nervous pace.

"I think you're right" said Gnock. "But perhaps not now. Not when the citizens of Cloverton need our help."

"But we need to tell someone!" said Risten insistently. "This is important."

"It is" said Gnock. "Go, inform your father on this discovery. He will in turn inform the others on the council, giving them ample time to form their opinions." Risten nodded, then hurried of into the crowd in search of her father. Gnock then looked back to Elsa. "I think your majesty, that you too must be forming your opinion."

Elsa looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "If you are asking me if I'll stay, then I don't think I have much of choice. They attacked Arendelle, and they will again if I simply go back. But I am _not_ letting some prophecy dictate my life. I have just gotten used to living life the way I want to, and I'm not giving that up for anything."

Gnock nodded, showing no real opinion on Elsa's decision. "Very well. It is your choice after all."

* * *

It has been three days since Anna and the others landed in Lathurn. A lazy port town, this was the first point of contact visitors had when entering the Lands North. It sat on the edge of a small wooded area beside an esturary. This place was very old, built mostly of centuries old stone. Despite this, it kept up appearances, maintained by the few elves and trolls that lived here. Upon landing, the citizens were more than willing to aid there new visitors. They were especially excited for the return of their brave captain Jethro. Unfortunately, their own jail being in a state of disrepair, they were unable to take Lars into custody as Jethro had planned. So, with great regret, they were forced to bring him along to be locked up in Shamrock. This Kira was secretly fine with, preferring to keep an eye on him, and not left in a shabby prison that where he could escape easily.

Having been presented with horses (minus Kristoff, who took Sven and Olaf who sat on Gunnolf's back), they rode north along the River Kyzer. It was now their second day on the road, with Shamrock being only a few hours away now. Anna could barely contain herself now.

"How much longer?" Anna asked.

"Five minutes since the last time you asked" Jethro deadpanned.

Anna sighed. It has been four days now since the attack on Arendelle. Four days since her sister was abducted; four days too long. All she could think about in all those days was all the horrible things Elsa could be going through. Trying to find a distraction, she focused on the landscape around her. This place was not like any place she had seen before. The grass was green, greener than even the grass maintained in the castle courtyard. There was a gleam in the land, coming from everywhere it seemed. In the last few years that Elsa had left the solitude of her room behind, Anna has come to see the difference between the ice Kristoff brought back from the mountains and the ice Elsa made with her magic. In Elsa's ice was a gleam, and in this land Anna was sensing the same thing.

"This place" Anna began to say to Jethro. "There is something, magical here."

"I feel it too" said Kristoff. "It's like the Valley where my family lives, but more intense."

"Well, it is a special place" said Jethro. "We are close to the North Pole here, where magic from under the earth leaves and meets the sky, making the Arora you see overhead on Winter nights."

"The Northern Lights" said Anna.

"Yes. But the pole is too cold for life. This place is special. Here, the residual magic from the pole meets living things. Magic can only manifest in the presence of life, creating a land charged with active magic. This place, separate from the world, was meant to be a refuge, protecting the races that have passed: The trolls, the elves, and the dragons."

"What do you mean passed?" Anna asked. "You're still here."

Jethro nodded sadly. "As a remnant, yes. A revenant of what we once were. The dragons, for example, were once the dominant sentient being, long, long ago, living as nomadic hunters. When their time came to an end, the trolls flourished, living in little communities all around the earth. When there time came to an end, we the elves emerged. For a time, we lived in small cities. But then, about four thousand years ago, our numbers diminished, leaving way for mankind, the race least dependent on magic.

This place, this 'Lands North', was meant to serve as the last stronghold for magical beings like us to live in peace. Here we can flourish and live out our lives. But then, about a thousand years ago, the Cataclysm hit, and we were forced to find refuge in the world we left behind. For hundreds of years we lived amongst men, hiding among the margins of civilization, living on in myth."

"What was the Cataclysm?" asked Jase.

Jethro shook his head. "I don't know personally. No one likes to talk-"

"It was an illness." This was said from far behind by Lars, being led in shackles, led by a long rope held by Jase. At the sound of his voice, all turned to hear the villain speak. "It was a plague. No one knew where it came from, but it affected all life. The peoples left when they exhausted all options. that answer your question princess." He finished with an uncaring, venomous tone in his voice.

No one said anything to him, afraid to entice the pirate into talking further. For a while after that, no one spoke, satisfied with the brief history lesson.

"Why are some humans born with magic?" Kira asked out of nowhere.

Jethro shrugged his shoulders. "That I don't know so well. Magic is an old and mystical force, one I never did study well."

"Just ask Gnock" said Marge, who was struggling to keep her balance on her steed, it being a brown pony.

"Who?" asked Kira.

"Gnock. He's the wisest person on this island, and one of the oldest. If you have any question regarding magic, you take it to him. If he can't answer it, then no answer exists."

Kira nodded thoughtfully.

And so they carried on for a while more, passing a few ruins in the process, remnants from past homes. Jethro went on to explain that many of the buildings in this land were relatively new, being built sometime in the last few hundred years. All these ruins were what was left behind during the initial exodus, left to the natural processes to reclaim.

It was another hour before Olaf, leading up ahead with Gunnolf, spotted something in the distance as they passed a particularly wide and tall hill. "Hey is that a city over there?" he asked, pointing with his stick finger.

Jethro, knowing his surroundings well, didn't even have to finish clearing the hill to know that he was home. "That would be Shamrock. We have arrived." As they cleared the corner one by one, everyone came to see the city in the distance. It was still too far to make out any detail, but it was unmistakable as a large, prosperous city.

"We're here?" Asked Anna.

"Are you deaf?" Marge said.

Anna of course was beside herself. Now they could get some answers, and more importantly help to go find Elsa, wherever she was in this strange yet fantastic land. But before she could say anything else, Gunnolf halted in his tracks. He took two whiffs of the air, then growled. "What is it boy?" Olaf asked. Before anyone could ask twice, a loud shout came from behind the hill.

"Halt!" yelled the voice. At once, everyone pulled their horses (and reindeer) to a stop. Before long, two elves came out from behind the hill, wearing dark green clothing to blend into the grass easier, with leather shin and arm guards. "Who goes there?"

"I don't know Diem" said Jethro. "Why don't you take a good look and ask again?"

At once, the one speaking, the one named Diem, took a closer look at the elf talking. "Captain?" he asked in surprise.

Jethro smiled. "Good to see you Diem."

"Ha! Good to see you too! But shouldn't you be in Arendelle still?"

"I was. But I found some, transportation. Ever heard of the rumor of the man who figured out how to use _plass essensen_?"

"That gossip? Yeah, what about it?"

Jethro tilted his head in Wes' direction. "This is the guy." Wes waved with a big grin on his face.

Diem looked, but didn't believe yet. "You're kidding."

"Oh what?" said Wes. "See a masked man and first thing you think is incompetence!"

"Well, he is funny looking."

"Oh you... just wait!" At once, Wes went running his hand through his pockets. One by one, he found nothing but lint and long old candy. Opening his last pocket, he came to a realization. He grit his teeth and said "Oh, I think I left it sitting on the pier. I sure hope no one finds it till I get back."

"I think my word will suffice Wes" said Jethro. "Trust me, he figured it out. Don't know how, but one second we were in Arendelle, the next we were at the Wall."

"No joke?" Diem asked. "I am glad you made it past the Maze. But lets save the talks for later. Last we heard Arendelle was under siege by dragons! Can you believe it?!"

"I know. I was there" said Jethro. "The Enemy must have decided to take matters into his own hands. Which is why we are here. They-" he stopped in mid sentence, a realization coming onto him. "Wait, how do _you_ know? This happened just days ago."

"Why, from the Queen herself."

"Queen?" Jethro asked inquisitively. "What queen?"

"Queen Elsa, who else? She came here just yesterday."

"Elsa?" Anna asked. "Elsa's here?"

"Oh yes. She's staying in the castle. Jethro, there's talk that she really is the Snow Queen of-"

"What are we doing standing around?!" Anna cried. "Come on, let's go!" At once, she urged her horse into a full gallop, riding on past Diem and his accomplice down the road.

"Anna wait!" Kristoff called from behind. "Wait for us!"

Anna rode on hard and fast, the others following close behind. Just minutes ago she was just hoping that they could find someone in Shamrock to help them find Elsa. Now she hears that Elsa is actually _in_ Shamrock. It was as if her unrealized prayers had been answered. It took them all of ten minutes to reach the main gates, where once again Jethro had to wave of the guards, who were high strung against strangers. Rushing past them, Anna rode on down the streets, blind to the alien culture that would have normally awed her. Only the occasional dragon gave her cause for alarm, her first experience with their kind not ending well. But it was just as Jethro said, that most of them are truly good. In fact, all she earned from them was an odd look because of the rapid, unyielding pace in which she rode on.

She wasn't exactly familiar with the layout of the city, but she saw a castle standing up above the houses, so she rode in that direction. The winding roads made navigation difficult, but she made up for it by riding on through alleys and in between houses, almost crashing into unsuspecting pedestrians. She managed almost two dozen hasty apologies before she found herself in front of the castle. Once their, she leapt from her horse, then marched right up to the main gates. But before she could enter, she was stopped by two elvish guards.

"Halt!" they said to her, holding their spears across each other to bar her entry.

"My sister's in there!" Anna said without any regard for protocol or even basic manners for that matter. "Let me in!"

"Ma'am, who are you? You can't just-"

She reached out and forcibly grabbed the speaking guard by his collar, holding him close to her face. "Listen you!" she said in a stern, commanding tone. "My home was torn apart by dragons, taking my sister as they left. I had to leave my poor baby boy behind in search of her! I've been through your enchanted maze with a madman as a guide, and let me tell you, it wasn't enchanting! I've been thrown around like a wet sardine, nearly eaten by a giant eel, and had my mind spun like a snowglobe! So just let me through so I can see my sister _right now_!"

"Anna?"

Anna broke her menacing glare with the guard only for a moment at the sound of her name. There, standing off to the side around the corner of the wooden castle, was Elsa. She was followed closely behind by a young elf maiden, but Anna was more captivated by the sight of her sister. She was wearing some foreign green dress, a color she never thought to see Elsa in. But it was her nonetheless, safe and sound.

"Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. She let go of the guard, letting him back away rapidly. "Elsa, you're alright!" At once, Anna came running to Elsa, becoming overwhelmed with joy. Elsa, returning the gesture, took a few steps forward and caught Anna in a tight hug, nearly falling backwards from the impact. At last, the two sisters were reunited.

"Anna, you're here!" Elsa said aloud in surprise. "I can't believe it!"

"Oh you better believe it!" said Anna, pulling away. "Just know that this is now the fourth time I've gone after you!"

Elsa smiled. "Oh Anna, it's so good to see you. Did you come alone?"

"Oh no. Kristoff, Jase and the others are behind me. I heard you were here and I took off. I probably lost them in the city, but they'll find their way here, you know eventually."

At once, Risten curtsied to Anna. "It's nice to meet you, Princess Anna" she greeted.

"Oh, uh, hello" Anna said, noticing Risten for the first time. "Who are you?"

"Anna, this is Risten. She's the daughter of the Chief and has been helping me settle in here."

"Oh, well it is a pleasure to meet you" said Anna. "Thank you so much for... YOU!"

Anna saw Boran walking in from around the corner. Though he had been Elsa's companion for some time now, Anna remembers him for being the dragon who took Elsa. Having missed the introduction, he was confused by her reaction.

"Um... hello?" said Boran, unsure of himself.

At once, Anna grabbed Elsa and pulled her behind her. "Get behind me Elsa!" said Anna.

"Anna, wait" said Elsa, but it was too late. She was already in full protection mode.

Anna began backing up, pushing Elsa along. "Back off!" Anna yelled. She took off one of her shoes, then threw it at Boran. "Take this!" she said as she threw, missing him by a few feet. Still not sure who this young woman was, Boran just tilted his head, giving her a funny look. "Oh, yeah, and there's more where that came from!" Anna began to take off her other shoe, but Elsa grabbed her, forcing her to listen.

"Anna would you listen! He's fine! He's good!"

"Good?! He's the one who kidnapped you!"

"No he's not. Well, technically yes, but it wasn't his fault. He couldn't help himself. But he's safe now, I promise. He's my friend."

"Friend?" Anna asked. She looked back at Boran, than to Elsa. "Friend? But, he... How?!"

Elsa shook her head. She moved in front of Anna, standing between her and her dragon friend. "Anna, this is Boran. He has been my guide for a few days, and my protector. Boran, this is Anna. My sister."

Now Boran had seen Anna before. But with the Dark Mirror still over him at the time, her face was a blur. Now, realizing who she was, he lowered his head lightly in a bow. "Princess Anna. A pleasure to meet you."

Anna just looked at the dragon with a dumbstruck expression. "Wow, I missed a lot didn't I?"

Elsa smiled. "I think we have a lot to catch up on."

Elsa however was unable to give any explanation, there was a small commotion back at the gates. A few guards had run up. They were anxious at first, but eased when they saw their captain walk up amongst the strangers ahead of him. Elsa looked back and, over the guards, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, or faces to be exact. As the guards parted and moved, she saw first Olaf, followed by Kristoff and Sven. Then she saw Jase, a face she had missed very much. Soon, he caught sight of her face, making eye contact. He lit up at that face.

"Elsa!" he cried out. He quickly pushed his way through the crowds, making a straight line for her. Elsa could only smile as he came, too overwhelmed to see not only him, but so many of the people she had longed to see for a long time now. She waited for him to come to her, and when he did he picked her up in his arms, spinning her around as she laughed. "I was afraid I would never see you again!"

"Well I'm here now" Elsa said.

Content, and thankful for having her back in his arms so soon, Jase kissed her. They were interrupted when a bounding snowman came running up behind them "Elsa!" Olaf cried in joy. Behind him Gunnolf bounded, the giant snow wolf earning a small alarm to the guards present.

"Olaf!" Elsa said.

"You're here, and in one piece!" Gunnolf then came in and, showing no restraint, gave Elsa a big, slobbery lick, nearly lifting her up in the air from the force. He hair was forced up in a jagged shape. Gunnolf sat there panting with a big grin on his face while Elsa pushed her hair back down. Next to greet her was Kristoff.

"Well, you look better than last I saw you!" he said with a grin.

Elsa smiled. "It's good to see you Kristoff. All of you. I can't believe you're all here! How did you manage-"

"Hey, snow chick!" This was Wes speaking. This answered Elsa's question. They must have used one of his magic capsules, or more. At once he went to give her a hug, but Elsa quickly extended her hand, rather having a shake than having Wes put his hands around her. Sighing, Wes shook her hand. "Heard you were taken by a dragon. Sounded like an adventure, so here I am!"

"Of course you are" said Elsa.

Then Kristoff caught sight of Boran, the only other one to see him. His eyes went wide and he pointed, but Anna silenced him before he could cause an alarm. "He's fine" said Anna. "Elsa said they worked it out."

"They what?"

"She said she'll explain."

In the midst of all this, Elsa next took notice, and much to her surprise, Kira standing aside. "Kira?" she asked.

"Hello" Kira said, walking up to greet her dear friend. "Your sister told me you were in trouble, so I had to come help."

"Oh thank you" said Elsa, hugging her. "It's always good to see you." Then Elsa saw Jethro, who was running up to them all the sudden.

"Jethro?" Elsa turned and saw Risten running up. Then, for the first time since Elsa met her, she smiled. Not forced, but a genuine, happy smile. She ran up and immediately hugged Jethro, which he returned full heartedly. "What happened? Elsa said you were in a fight."

Jethro then shot a disbelieving glare at Elsa for telling her this. Elsa just shrugged. Rolling his eyes, he looked back at Risten. "It was nothing. I told you I would be back with no problem, right?"

Risten just nodded, too happy to see him to press him now.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?!" said Marge, marching in with an odd limp, her feet haven fallen asleep from riding for so long.

"Hello Marge" Risten said. "Did Jethro give you much trouble?"

Marge scoffed. "The definition of an understatement."

Then Elsa caught site of another person. Lars was held back by two guards, bound in chains. His face she would never forget, unfortunately not for a long time. Her eyes widened in fright. He was the last person on earth she expected to see with her friends. "What is _he_ doing here?!" Elsa exclaimed.

Jase sighed. "Unfortuantly he was the only one who could navigate the maze we took to get here."

"Maze? What maze?" Elsa asked.

"Oh look at this!" said Wes, clapping his hands together. "Looks like we both have explaining to do. Story time! Let me tell it! Let me tell it!"

"Fine Wes!" Jase snapped. "You can tell it."

"Oh good! I'm great at telling stories. As my grandmamma says, 'when retelling a story, remember to make up at least 27% of it!"

* * *

 **End of Part I**

 **Ladies and gentlemen, the long awaited conclusion of part one! I honestly thought I would be past this much sooner. And let me say, it took me a while to get this out! I must have been through ten rewrites before I got this right!**

 **Let me say that I am very happy to have finally gotten to this halfway point!** **Now to just figure out the next half of this!... Seriously, the second half's outline is still incomplete. I have a beginning, and end, but no middle!**

 **I thank you for all who have been reading up to this point! I am very sorry for the numerous delays (one of them discovering "Lost"... seriously, don't get into it unless you have a month of spare time!).**

 **Well, that's all for now. Next up is Part II, and hopefully I will complete that a lot sooner. Who is the Master? Will Elsa fulfill the prophecy or follow her own destiny? What does Lars have planned? What does Wes have planned?**

 **See you soon. And please don't forget to review! It's these reviews that give me inspiration to write!**

 **-Batman**


	24. Chapter 24

**Part II: All things must End**

Chapter 1: 

An Unexpected Visitor

 **Hello there!**

 **I am really, really sorry for the extremely long delay (7 months, sheez!) Truth be told, I lost my imaginative drive for a really long time. The story wasn't flowing as I liked and I was coming across many issues with the plot. For a while I considered quitting altogether. But I was so close to the end, I decided that maybe I just needed a break. So I worked on some original stuff for a while before I started getting reviews from a Lionrulersroar on my earlier work, and this jump started my creativity once again. So I began writing, and after re-reading the chapters up until this point (its amazing how one forgets what he himself wrote!), and then I was able to find my flow again. **

**I would highly recommend skimming over chapter 22, to refresh your memory on who's who in the council scene.**

 **So… enjoy**

* * *

An hour passed since Anna and the others found Elsa, safe and sound in Shamrock. Treated as esteemed guests, they were given one of the common rooms in the wooden castle to rest and recuperate, as well as food and drink to replenish themselves after their long journey, and rooms to sleep in that evening. All except Lars of course. After being identified as the mysterious raider who was been harvesting magical artifacts out in the wilderness against the law, the elves were more than willing to lock him up until he can be taken back to Berglia when all this had passed.

The room, fashioned with red wooden walls and extravagant moldings all along the ceiling corners, was well furnished with soft couches and a fine, sheep wool rug. It was a large room, big enough to comfortably house all of Elsa's party. Taking a moment to rest and eat, they sat down to exchange stories, Elsa's her side, and Anna hers. All were amazed by Elsa's journey, and equally bewildered and weary of the happenings in the top of the world. Elsa tried her best not to leave out any detail, though a few minor things slipped her mind. No doubt though the others will be filled in as they come to know their gracious hosts.

Anna had help in her tale, as she had Kristoff, Jase, and the others to help her remember all the details, so little was left out. Part of the way through her account, she had to pause at the telling of Pabbie's tragic passing. Elsa couldn't believe it at first, but as the shock caught up, she put her hand to her mouth, holding back a gasp. She didn't cry, but she felt a gaping emptiness fill her heart. She urged Anna to continue talking, but only half listened as she remembered the kindly old troll's face.

Following the conclusion of the recount, Elsa stood up and walked slowly over to the fire. "How can this have happened? In so short a time. Pabbie..." she turned to Anna and Kristoff, who was sitting next to her husband. "He was so kind to us, and helped us so many times. This is the first time in days I've been given the full picture I, I don't even know how to react."

"Then don't" said Jase. "This isn't over yet, and it won't do you any good to dwell on anything now."

"He's right" said Kristoff. "If Pabbie were here, he would scold us for mourning just yet, not when there is so much to do. You know him, he was always for action."

"You're right" said Elsa. "Whoever this enemy is, this sorcerer, he thinks I'm worth all this trouble. He's not going to stop until he's stopped. You should see the fear he has struck in these people."

Then Anna said "How can it be the sorcerer who gave King Gregor his powers? That was hundreds of years ago."

"I don't know. I wish I did. The odds do seem unlikely."

"Maybe" said Jase. Then he turned away, crossing his arms in thought. "But, if Klydrun told the truth, if he did indeed orchestrate my father's death, and he is now in league with this sorcerer who gave Gregor his powers, the man whose prison my father's ancestors was charged with guarding… The odds seem lower the more I think about it."

"It's a coincidence" said Anna. "But how could he have lived all that time. Unless he's an elf. How old do elves get?"

"I never asked" said Elsa. "But they are certain he is human. He must have used a spell or something like that to prolong his life. I'll be sure to ask when the council meets again this evening."

"So" began Olaf, sitting beside a sleeping Gunnolf, curled up with his face by his tail. "I guess we don't know much of anything."

"Oh don't say that" said Anna. "We know there's a bad guy, who is a long dead sorcerer, creepy but plausible I guess." She began counting on her fingers, bringing up a 'one'. "There's a prophecy, not that I believe in pre-destiny or anything, it just sounds cool. We're in a distant land full of magical everything. Oh, and there's a Dark Mirror involved…"

"Does this mean Elsa is going to go nuts again?" asked Olaf, ducking behind the couch.

"Oh of course not" said Anna, waving her hand dismissively.

"Aw man" said Wes. All eyes turned to the masked man, sitting cross legged on a table like a curious child. "What? I missed that the first time around. Besides, I find dangerous women attractive."

"Trust me, you don't want to live through that" said Olaf.

"Why, was it… _dark_."

"Hilarious" said Anna sarcastically.

"Do they really believe in this prophecy?" asked Kira, speaking up. "Do they expect you to fight their fight for them?"

Elsa paused in silent reflection for a moment, then she said "They are not a defenseless people, and they are not trying to force anything on me. They look upon me with hope though." Elsa paused, looking at the fire, thinking of the way that young girl looked at her with pleading eyes, expecting a miracle for her dying father. Then she thought of her life leading up to now. Many times before, she thought she was destined to a life on confinement and loneliness, never to be her own person, to be with her family, or to even start one of her own. This she was sure of. But Anna shattered that belief. Jase shattered that belief. Destiny was nothing but a fantasy she realized, and she wasn't about to go down that road again, thinking her life wasn't her own.

But it was the latter part of that prophecy that had her on edge, that her loved ones might suffer. What she wasn't sure.

"I don't believe in destiny" she declared. "I learned that a long time ago. I do know that this sorcerer believes in this prophecy, and he sought me out because of it. If this prophecy comes true, it is because he brought this upon himself, and nothing more. Regardless, we have no choice but to stay and help."

"Well" said Jase. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're with you."

"Without a doubt" said Anna.

"We've got your back" said Kristoff.

Then Wesley said "Well, wait a second, now when you say you speak for the rest of us, did you consider that some of us might be- ow!" Kira punched him in the side. "I mean sure. Yeah. Epic struggle against sorcerers and dragons, probably a dungeon in there somewhere. But sure, count me in. Besides, you're all my ride home."

"Oh it's not going to be that bad" said Olaf. "Maybe this bad guy had a bad childhood, misunderstood, and just really lonely. Maybe he just wants a warm hug!"

Wes lowered his shoulders, shooting a disbelieving glare at Olaf. "I swear, if _that's_ going to be the plot twist in this story, I am out of here!"

* * *

In the throne room, Winsten spoke in private with Jethro with his son and daughter present, wanting a full briefing on what had happened in Arendelle and beyond.

Jethro was nearing the end of his own tale, recounting all that had happened since his departure those few months ago. "... Once we reached Lathurn it was all down hill; uneventful until we arrived here" he finished.

Winsten sighed in his throne, nodding slowly. "I see." He then turned to Yishdere, his son. "So, the pirate raiding the badlands has at last been identified."

Yishdere nodded. "Yes, Lars Brawnstone. I believe I have heard that sir-name in the lore of the outside world. But, tell me again Captain, this... Wesley, is his brother? And yet you consider him an alley?"

"The Nobles of Arendelle seem to place a good amount of trust in him, though they appear put off by his, unusual ways. As far as I can tell the brothers had a falling out years ago involving the incident around Princess Kira of Berglia. What it was I do not know, but they hardly spoke to each other the entire time while Lars was in prison. I sense some other tension besides that, but given their criminal past the causes can be limitless.

Winsten leaned back into his chair. "A truly complex set off individuals you have found here Captain. Now, onto more urgent matters. The dragons that attacked Arendelle, the one named Skouch, describe him."

Jethro answered immediately, having no difficulty recalling the dragon's features. "He had a purple hue to him. A single horn on the nose. Very talkative. Took a muzzle to silence him."

Yishdere shook his head. "He doesn't sound familiar. And what about this riddle? The Lost City of the Linnorms has been a mystery for ages."

"Under ice, and over water" Winsten said slowly, carefully pondering the words. "And between eternal tears..."

"Eternal tears can mean waterfalls" suggested Risten.

"Yes, but there are hundreds waterfalls in this land" said Yishdere. "But how can it be under ice and over water? Surely it can't be an iceberg."

"Wherever that is, it would certainly narrow it down" said Risten. "But only a dragon can enter. It must be enchanted, or maybe only a dragon can see it."

"Whatever the case, the matter can wait until the council meeting tonight" said Winsten. "It is clear more minds are required for this riddle." He then returned his attention to the Captain. "Thank you for your time Captain. We are once again in your debt."

Jethro bowed. "Thank you your grace." He then promptly departed, but not before trading a brief, thoughtful glance at Risten, who returned the gesture with a small smile.

* * *

The council met later that day, eager to continue, especially now with new information both from Elsa's encounter and Jethro's return. All who was there earlier that day had attended. Foregoing pleasantries in place of urgency, the only preamble to debate was both the introduction of Jase, Anna and Kristoff, and Kira (Olaf, Gunnolf, and Wes decided to stay out of the meeting, none having any diplomacy skills) and the briefing of new information that Jethro presented, including Skouch's riddle. They were all up on their feet, having pushed their chairs aside, none able to sit still. They were all informed on the possible identity of the Enemy, and had already begun expressing their fears.

"…We must do something" said Norman. "We need to bring the last of the settlements to Shamrock and make a stand."

"Make it where mate?" said Jasp. "We don't even know where he is."

"We wait for him. Let him come to us" said Monatark.

"And give him the advantage of timing?" said Wanda. "The Meeting of the Lights is nearly upon us."

"So what?" asked Norman.

"So? The prophecy clearly states its importance. Whatever he has planned it will be coinciding with that."

"She is right" said Gnock. Only he had remained sitting on a raised chair, too old for standing long periods. "He does not need to attack us."

"Then why the attacks?" asked Norman

"For security" suggested Yishdere. "Hostages, in case we find out where he is."

"And what about the Dark mirror?" asked Wanda.

"Oh yes, _that_ " said Winsten. "An uncomfortable feeling came over the room, as if a dark shadow of dread overcame the group.

"I doubt we can ignore the signs" said Gnock. "The Dark Mirror, or at least a recreation of it, has returned."

"Then it must be the case" Norman spoke. "This sorcerer, him must being the one who bewitched Gregor of Kalamar..."

"It's not possible" said Monotark. "That was over three hundred years ago. No human can reach that age, not with any enchantment."

"None that we know of" said Gnock. "Much of what we know about ancient magic's have been lost when the Lands North was evacuated all those years ago. There are some enchantments of a darker, more sinister sort that might have allowed for prolonged life, in fact it is a common myth in my circle."

"The Prophecy did state that he would be ancient" said Wanda.

"Regardless" said Winsten. "Only a sorcerer could have remade the Mirror, and made the attacks described by the refuges. Now, as we all know, of all the known powers a human can possess, a sorcerer is by far the most powerful, and the rarest."

"That could explain why we haven't seen one in so long" said Wanda. "There can only be one sorcerer existing at a time, and none have been born in a very long time. Though I wondered if it was because of the decline of magic in the world in the passing centuries. I have to agree; it can only be a sorcerer, and if that is the case, than our plight is worse than I had expected."

"What was the name of the last sorcerer?" asked Norman.

"He had a name but it is lost to me. It's in our records I know. Started with an 'E' I think..."

 _"A 'D'!"_

Elsa flinched at the shout, quickly looking right. The feminine voice, one she recognized, sounded like it came to her right, but only Jase was there. He saw her expression and asked "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing" Elsa found herself whispering. It was so sudden, and she was sure she heard it. But then, she has been seeing and hearing things on a regular basis now. It did sound familiar though.

"The name we will find later" said the Elf King. "The question now is what are we going to do about it?"

"A sorcerer is not like any other gifted" said Gnock. "He can conjure only a little magic himself, but he can manipulate every other sort to his will, combining their powers for a near infinite number of uses. And to have recreated the Dark Mirror, and manipulated it for a specific purpose, means that he is also well studied in arts most don't have access to. And with centuries of planning... he would be a dangerous foe, and has proven to be one so far."

"Then what hope do we have old friend?" Winsten asked.

"The sorcerer can manipulate all forms of magic, but magic is one of the many forces that keep the Universe in order. There are the elemental forces, which not even magic can prevail against. In all of history, only one is known to have control over one of these forces."

He looked to Elsa, it being her. Elsa dreaded the attention, but resisted showing any sign of discomfort. She had agreed to help them, but being reminded that she was possibly their _only_ hope was not an idea she was fond of. The fact that logic kept dictating that fate had its hold on her was not a comforting idea either.

"Well don't tell me you're just all going to let Elsa do all the work for you" Anna said.

"We have no intention of that" said Winsten. "The problem is, we're not sure what we should do ourselves. We don't even know where the enemy is. We have nothing but a riddle."

"The trouble is" said Jethro, "We have no idea what these references mean. They point to almost a hundred different locations."

Jase said "I'm wondering now if Skouch said it just to throw us off."

"No, no I think he was being sincere. I watched him. His eyes moved like there were describing a memory."

"Perhaps we can at least narrow it down" said Gnock.

"How?" asked Elsa.

"Fortunately, there is someone here who has been to this city recently."

Boran tilted his head inward at the small troll's suggestion. He dared not to speak, looking at his sister with worried expression. "Are you, are you talking about me?" asked Boran.

"Who else has been in the enemy's council?" asked Gnock, turning his head to the direction of Boran's voice.

"But, but I have no memories. Believe me, if I did remember I would have told you long ago."

"I believe that you are sincere" said the old troll in a kindly tone. "But I think I can reclaim those lost memories."

At once, one of Gnock's aids, another troll, went up to him and whispered loudly. "No sir, you can't!" he said in protest.

"Of course I can" said the old troll in an annoyed tone.

"Wait" said Boran. "Is this dangerous? Your friend there has some doubts."

"It can be dangerous, especially with his age" said the troll aid.

"Oh stop worrying Ralph!" said Gnock, striking the young troll on the head with his cane.

"And with a sorcerer involved?" asked Winsten. "What about that factor?"

"The time is dire, and neither is it on our side. Stop worrying about me, I know my limits. It's the patient you need to worry about"

"Oh great, we're referring to me again" said Boran.

"And what does the patient have to worry about?" asked Shárra.

"It is a risk, I won't lie. It might cause you to regain those horrid memories you would rather forget. If I call attention to the Sorceror, he might try and sway you back to his side. But if this works, not only will you drive a spike through the man who did this to you, but you might just also spare many lives here. The choice is yours, but as I said, Time is not on our side."

Boran thought. He looked to his sister, then to Elsa, the only two he found closeness to right now. Just days ago he was nothing more than a puppet. And now he was being asked to put himself in that vulnerable position once more. The only difference is that he had a choice this time.

"Yes, Yes I'll do it."

"Boran..." he sister began in protest, but Boran reassured her that he was alright with this.

"How does this work?" he asked.

"Quite simple." He turned to his assistants, who helped him up onto the table. Mages themselves, they used their magic to lift him up gently onto the table. "Just bring your head down to rest on the table and I will take care of the rest."

"We're doing this now?" asked Wanda. "Isn't there some preparation for this? Meditation or something?"

"Who is the expert here? And as I said, Time is not on our side, and I would prefer to do this in your presence so I won't have to go repeating myself with another meeting."

So he walked over to the other side of the table, all watching in curious silence. Boran did as Gnock had instructed and brought his head down, resting it lightly on the table. Gnock reached and, after some blind groping, found Boran's snout. "Now, just clear your head and stand still. Resist the urge of sudden movement." Boran did as commanded and closed his eyes. At once, Gnock began his work. A mist of green magic flowed out of his hand and hovered between him and Boran, touching neither of their bodies. For a while, they appeared still and action-less, but soon Boran began flinching, but as Gnock instructed, he kept his head in place. "Hold still lad" said Gnock. "Ignore the un-pleasantries."

And they were unpleasant indeed. For between troll and dragon, the visions were horrid. Boran felt sick at the memories, ashamed even. But he held still, for Gnock moved through them quickly, not dwelling on any for long, not caring for any other conscious thought other than for what he was looking for. Faces of horror and images of destruction. Dark musty caves and dark figures came to the forefront of his mind at times, but little of the outside. For near ten minutes, the two remained motionless as Gnock searched the dragon's mind. Boran's face became calmer as time went on. Elsa watched anxiously, having grown fond of her dragon protector, but grew more at ease as the supposed risked seemed unfounded.

As Gnock sifted through the flow of memory, he was surprised to not at least get a view of the location from afar, or consistent landmarks. Such things should be prevalent in the mind of one who has gone to and from a place with any frequency. Something was not right. His troll assistants grew worried, knowing the usual timespan of such things. Then Gnock stopped the flow of memories, halting in a memory of Boran wandering through a dark passage. Boran appeared as himself, and Gnock as his own, though his eyes were clear here Boran noticed. Aware of Gnock's hesitation, Boran worried. "Why have we stopped?" he asked in his mind.

"Something is wrong" said Gnock. "Some information is missing."

"Maybe the Dark Mirror blocked it?"

"Possible, but you fought against this. There should be cracks in the Mirror's control. Not even that powerful a force can turn off the connection of the eyes to the mind, not if it needs those eyes open to see where its victim is headed." Then Gnock tensed, both outside and in the mind. A cold, empty chill went down his spine, filling him with the feeling of loneliness and anger and resentment. It was affecting him, and he could feel it affecting his patient as well. "We are not alone."

Then, down the tunnel of this subconscious realm, there appeared a dark figure, one clothed in a dark tattered robe, armed with nothing but gauntlets on his hands. He stood with their back to them, but then turned, as if he was surprised to see them. There was silence, one that was deafening, if that were possible. "It is him" said Gnock in alarm. Seeing them, and taking a moment to act, the Figure raised his right hand quickly, and a dark smoke came out of it, and it wrapped around Boran. Boran looked to himself in alarm and tried to shake it off and get away, but he could not move. Then he looked to Gnock in terror. "No!" said Gnock in alarm. He went to intervene, grabbing Boran's paw in effort to pull him out of it, but the Figure easily pushed him off with an invisible force, knocking him back through the dark tunnel. Then Gnock vanished from the vision entirely, and soon found himself back on the council table, on his back. His assistants went to help, but at once the blind old troll shot up. "Boran, wake up! Wake him up, get him out of there!"

But it was too late. The dragon swung his head up. He shook hard, then lunged back violently away from the table, standing on his hind legs. All looked upon him in surprise and shock. A darkness overtook the dragon, his scales turning a darker shade, losing contrast. He roared loudly.

"Restrain him, hurry!" said Gnock.

At once, Shara and Monatark jumped on him, pushing him back to the wall. But Boran, in a fit of unexplained strength, pushed them off with his wings with ease, sending a sharp, strong breeze through the room, dimming the candles on the ceiling. He shot out a blast of ice, which covered the table, sending the assembly away and back to the walls. But Elsa put her hands on the table, and at once the ice stopped spreading.

"Boran, stop!" shouted Elsa.

Then, to her surprise, he did stop. He stood still, but the darkness around him grew. His head was bowed and his eyes closed, looking like a black, stone gargoyle. A faint smoke surrounded him, emanating off him like steam. Then he looked up, but his eyes were now red like blood, glowing faintly. He looked more like a snake than anything, and didn't even look like the dragon she knew. He sneered, then spoke in a queer, older voice that was not his own. He talked slowly, relishing every word as if long rehearsed. "Long, have I wished to meet your acquaintance, oh great Northern Council." He said this, thinly concealing mockery.

Shárra shook her head in confusion looking at Boran in dread. "Boran?"

"No" he said, moving his head about slowly. "Not at the moment. Forgive me for such an unusual and untimely appearance, but I did not expect such an opportunity, thanks to old Gnock." The once timid, soft sounding voice of Boran was now replaced with a sneer, commanding, and intelligent one of some new entity.

"It is him" said Gnock, backing away. "The Enemy is amongst us."

At that, the room grew silent, with only a faint exchange of murmurings echoing through the room. They were the sounds of fear, the kind that petrified the bravest of warriors, and sent their muscles into uncontrollable spasms. Elsa gripped Anna's hand out of impulse. Anna kept to herself the fact that her hand was cold. Boran, or rather just his body, climbed up onto the great wooden table, standing high and with pride, looking like some great predator, lacking any sentience. The table was creaking, and the ice cracked under his feet, but it managed to hold his weight.

"The Enemy?" said the Voice as if surprised by the choice of words. "Why do you use that term with me? If you truly understand me, you would call me, your liberator."

"Liberator?!" said Shárra, overcoming her initial fear, seeing her brother used as a puppet once again. She spoke with a fury, one she directed to those eyes that she knew were not her brother's "How dare you throw around that word when you bewitch the minds of others to your will!?"

The Enemy then swung his head over to her. At the closeness of those eyes, Shárra stepped back.. "Rest assured, you will have your brother back momentarily." He then turned back again to the rest of the assembly. "In fact, if you lay down your plans to retaliate now and let me accomplish my work, you will all regain your lost ones. All that I do is necessary if you want to regain true freedom."

"What freedom could you possibly have to offer than what we already have?" asked Gnock.

"Freedom from morality. Freedom from order and the law of weaker men."

"Anarchy" said Elsa.

The Entity did not know the sound of her voice, but when he turned and saw her, he identified her almost immediately. He looked almost pleased to see her. "Ah, the Queen of Arendelle. Or, perhaps I should call you by the name these people have assigned you?"

"You will address me as the former and nothing else."

"Ah" he said. He snaked Boran's head closer to her, putting all his concentration on her now. He looked her over as if she were some floral oddity, something to take in and observe. Elsa felt uneasy by how close and how snake like the entity moved, and grew stiff, but kept at least her face firm. "So you have rejected the fates then? Oh that is a foolish move."

"So you are encouraging her now?" asked Gnock, as if curious. "You remember what the Prophecy has in store for you."

"Oh I remember" he said, easing back away from Elsa, having observed her enough. "But by the time my work is done, fate can do with me as it wishes. And I will win in the end, whether you have the Snow Queen or not."

"She won't be alone" said Jase, stepping up closer to Elsa. "She has me on her side."

"Oh does she now?"

"And me!" said Anna, and then almost immediately followed by Kristoff.

"I'll stand by her" said King Winsten, stepping forward. "And I speak for all elf kind."

"And I" said Gnock. Soon, all in assembly followed their lead, swearing allegiance to Elsa. Boran's head swung around, though seemed unconcerned with the response, expecting half as much.

"Oh, by all means. Bring in all of your allies. Send the entirety of the Lands North to my doorstep, it won't matter. You don't know what have become of the people I have taken, do you?"

"Are they alive?" Winsten asked, afraid of the answer.

"Oh don't worry, they are, and they will stay that way as long as you leave well enough alone."

"You're holding them hostage?" asked Norman.

"Hostage!" the Enemy laughed. "Oh no, they're much more than that. They're my, innocent soldiers" he said as if coining a new phrase.

"What?" asked Winsten.

"It's the term I applied to them. I hope you all come to realize the story behind this face you are looking at."

"You're using the Dark Mirror on them" surmised Gnock. "Not just the dragons, but every troll, man, and elf too."

"Well why stop at just the Linorms? The Mirror I have made far exceeds that of old. I have, improved it. Not only does it bring out one's darkness, but that darkness now serves the Mirror, as do I, so indirectly me. They will serve us to our own ends."

"And what is end is that?" asked Gnock.

"Well I'm glad you asked that. Now I get to elaborate on my grand, evil plan. But alas, my time has run out. I will see you all very soon" Then he looked to Elsa one more time, then said "I will be particularly glad to see you later, your Majesty. And we will meet again, before this all ends."

Then, the red hue in Boran's eyes faded, and he shut his eyes. Suddenly, he rose to his hind legs, his body convulsing and his body swaying from side to side. He head snapped up, and he fell onto his back, crashing against the wall. His scales faded back to his natural green, and the smoke ceased. Then he was still, at peace.

"Boran!" Shárra shouted in horror. She rushed to her brother's side, nudging his head with her own. When she heard Boran let out a labored breath, she sighed in relief. Elsa ran up beside them, waiting to see if he would recover.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. "You'd think I'd be used to that by now" he said with a smile, his own voice returning. Shárra smiled. Then his face went serious. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"No, of course not" Shárra answered. Boran sighed, then closed his eyes once more. Gnock was helped off the table and he worked his way over to Boran. He put his hand on him, and sighed with ease. "He will be fine. He could have done worse if he had a mind to."

"This is worse than we thought" said Winsten, his mind quickly turning to more important matters. "He's using the hostages against us."

"And they were all innocent" said Jethro with deep regret in his voice. "All of them. Save for maybe Skouch, all those dragons were innocent." In the last few years, he had killed many of the attacking dragons in the name of defense. But to know that they themselves were innocent made him feel sick.

"There was nothing else we could have done" said Jasper. "There was no way we could have know."

"But we should have known some of them."

"Boran was taken ten years ago" said Shárra as she tended to her brother, who had yet to regain consciousness. "I always assumed he had met some terrible accident in the wilderness and we simply couldn't find him. Not long ago many thought we were extinct. He must have been at this for decades, swaying more and more dragons under his control."

"And now he has men, elves and trolls" said Norman. "Hundreds by our count, and who knows how many over the years. Even if we could overtake their forces, how could we raise our swords against them? They are victims, trapped in their own bodies."

"If we don't act" said Winsten, "then all will fall."

"There has to be a way to save them" said Elsa. "I was able to save Boran."

"After he tried to kill you" said Jase. "And he was just one. He has hundreds. You can't save them all, not all at once."

"Then I will stop him before it comes to that. Destroy his new mirror. I'm supposed to be the one who stops him, right?"

"You are forgetting one thing Your Majesty" said Wanda. "We don't know where he is. Unless Gnock wants to try reading Boran's mind again."

"Not again!" said Shárra.

"No" said Gnock. "No I'm afraid that the Sorceror still has a link to him. By performing this act I will only 'open' that link again."

"Then we have nothing" said Winsten with a sigh. "We have with us a diverse table of talents, powers and wisdom, and nothing to do with it."

"I know…" said a weak voice all the sudden. Sharra looked down and saw that Boran had awaken. He put his paw on the ground, and slowly brought himself up, much to his sister's protest. His eyelids were heavy, and his limbs still felt like slushed snow. "I know… where he is…"

"Boran?" Elsa asked. He was still weak she saw, and he was swaying from dizziness, but what he had to say was too important.

"You remember?" asked Winsten with a hopeful stare.

He nodded. He then spoke, slowly and in a low volume, as if his mind were distant and someplace else. "I, saw his thoughts. He saw mine… He, _stirred_ something, a memory. I think he repressed it. But when he took over, and I was pushed back into _that_ corner of my mind, I knew I could maneuver it better than before, so I did. He didn't seem to notice, so I peeked at something, a feeling that felt familiar, both to his and mine. I saw, I saw a tower. I knew it, I saw it on our way here, when I brought Elsa here."

"I remember it" said Elsa. "It was close to the mountains. It looked abandoned."

"That's Elamdora. It's the last thing standing from a settlement ages ago" said Winsten.

"We were so close, practically there." He said before looking to Elsa. "If you hadn't waken up when you did, you would be a prisoner by now."

Elsa thought back to that day. She remembered Joan's voice, and realized that it wasn't a coincidence that she woke her up at that moment. But why so close? Perhaps this was the reason, for Boran to place the location.

"What about the enemy's hideaway?" asked Winsten eagerly. "Where is his fortress?"

So Boran continued. "You can see it from the tower." He was gaining resolve, in some sense finding closure for at least part of his ordeal: knowing the place where his enemy lurked. His head perked up, his eyes appearing clearer than they did before, but still bloodshot from before. "A, a cave. High up in the side of the mountain, on a cliff face. It's between two waterfalls, one being higher than the other."

"Two tears" said Prince Yishdere, remembering Skouch's riddle.

At once, Winsten asked. "Ice. The mountains, there snowcapped, and there is a glacier on top of them to the south."

"Yes, that's right" said Boran.

"Then that's it!" said Winsten. "We have him! Finally, we know where to find that squirmy devil! Oh, but how he has positioned himself. On the face of a sheer drop, hundreds of feet up, with a glacial wasteland behind him."

"We can't let that deter us" said Norman. "We all heard him, he has something nefarious planned, and it must be soon."

"In two days" said Gnock.

"Two days?" asked Anna. "Why do you say that?"

"The Aurora Unum" said Gnock. "The Meeting of the Lights."

"Oh right, that" said Anna.

"Without a doubt it is related somehow. How I have no knowledge off."

"Then we need to hurry and act" said Jase.

Elsa said "You all know this land best, and its ways. We will follow your lead."

"As her Majesty permits" said Winsten. "We will need all of our assets. We know of what you can do Elsa, but what about your friends? Princess Kira has a similar gift to yours I believe."

"Some" Kira said in a small voice. "I'm not used to using them though."

"Still, we might need your help. Is anyone else gifted?"

"No" said Elsa. "No but we can all help."

"How about Brawnstone" suggested Jethro. "The younger one. He has those capsules, and he's very resourceful with them is he not."

"Wes…" Elsa thought. "Well, he is the only one who can make them, and he knows them better than anything. He'll need to make a batch."

"Well then we'll provide the resources" said Winsten. "Anything he asks for. Bring him in here. He should weigh in on this." So he sent his guards to go fetch him. But they returned empty handed. "Well, where is he?"

"He's, gone" said the guard. "He's not in the study where we left him."

"Oh no" Elsa groaned. "Where has that trouble maker gone?"

* * *

Lars had been sitting patiently in his cell, his legs crossed as he meditated. This prison he noted was far more pleasant than the one he had been in, and he was actually quite content with it. The walls were of solid stone, save for a solid wood door. The bars were narrow, but strong he noted, the work of elven craft. The floors were made of small flat stones, seemingly paved by midgits; clean and dry. Long had he sought to enter these very walls, and he was just grateful to get at least this far.

But he knew he wouldn't be waiting for long, and not because he was to be taken back to Berglia. When he heard the faint footsteps, too faint to be anyone else but a natural sneak, he smiled.

"You're late" he said, his eyes still closed in meditation.

A key rolled through the tumblers of the lock, and the door creaked open. There, standing before him, with a small sword and a small bag of supplies in his hands, stood his brother. Wesley, with a grim, disapproving tone, tossed him the articles.

"A deal's a deal" said Wes. "You're free."

* * *

 **Dun dun dun!**

 **Well, good to be back. Please feel free to review!**

 **-Batman**


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